Trials of a Teenage Tactician
by crosstrigger333
Summary: FE7 I was once a normal, nerdy teenager from a modern world. Then, I played a chess game with this old guy, and now I'm a tactician traveling medieval Elibe with a beautiful sword-wielding girl from the plains. My life's weird like that. LynxTactician
1. Prologue: A Girl from the Plains

_A/N: I played Fire Emblem a while back. I was a big fan of the game, with its rich story and excellent gameplay, but what really got me hooked was the characters. There were no ornamental characters, though some were more important that others. Everyone had their own personalities, their own backstories. And there was so many ways I could play._

_One of the coolest things about Fire Emblem 7 was the role of the tactician. Effectively, you play a defining role in the story, though you aren't directly involved with the battles. It always brought up the question of what the tactician was like as a person. Everyone else has a personality and a backstory, why shouldn't the tactician?_

_Of course, the idea for a fanfiction revolving around the tactician has been done many times. The ones I read, however, made him be able to hold his own in combat, and pretty much be a 'Mary Sue' character. There's nothing wrong with that, but I always wonder, if the tactician can fight, why doesn't he in the game? The tactician in this story is a bit of a mixture of Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Lelouch from Code Geass, with a quite a bit of my own personality thrown in. I thought it would be refreshing change from the gung ho character you see in other fanfiction._

_Enjoy and Review!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its characters. Except for the particular tactician in this story. And maybe a few original characters I may throw in here and there. Other than that, the characters are from the game, and are owned by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems._

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**  
by crosstrigger333

Prologue: A Girl from the Plains

I wouldn't consider myself perfect. Heck, I wouldn't consider myself moderately superb. What's there to know about me? Who am I? Has something interesting happened in my life that people would want to know?

Define "interesting."

My name is Sean Masters. My birthday is in January, if that's anything people consider important. I'm your normal, average 18-year-old male. Well, average is a relative term. As far as looks go, I've got dark brown hair and matching eyes, and I'm about 5 foot 4 inches tall. My height is something I came to terms with when I was 17 and realized that I wouldn't be growing anymore. I'm not really skinny, but not really fat either. I'm not athletic, I can't cook, and schoolwork overrides social life in my system. Yeah, I'm what many people in my age group would call a 'nerd'. For a while, I disliked that term, but now, I realize how much it fits me. I'm no jock, after all. I have an above average IQ, and am able to think a few steps ahead of your average teenager. I'm talented at math and have a keen sense of logic, and I hoped to make some good money in the future working with computers.

Not that my hopes for the future gave me any luck with the ladies.

Seriously, I'm 18 years old, and I have never had a girlfriend. Yeah, I admit it, and it's embarassing. It's not like I'm ugly or anything. I just never possessed the skills to talk to some girls. The kids who used to play in my neighborhood had girlfriends before I did. I wish that this was some weird teen drama or something that lets me have a 'girl-next-door' type person my whole life, but no luck. Yeah, life sucked before the day that man called me out for a chess match.

Right, here's where the story begins. Well, I got a call one afternoon by Professor Dumas, an old man who moved into the neighborhood a few days before. I had seen him around and of course had introduced myself. He needed some help unpacking his stuff, so, being a good neighbor, I agreed to help him. After a few boxes were finished, he invited me to the living room to have some cookies, and we were having a friendly conversation around his coffee table, which had a glass chessboard as a centerpiece. He seemed interested when the subject switched to chess.

"Really," he smiled. "You play chess?"

"Yes," I replied. "The chess club at school has wanted me to join them for some time now, but I'm more focused on my studies. That's probably the reason that I can't get a girlfriend."

"Well, don't fret, my young friend," he smiled. "I happen to know of a young lady who would show great admiration for your talents."

Does he sound like a creepy old man to you? Then I described him well. The man had a long white beard and looked like he was in his eighties. He always wore his tiny spectacles and spoke with a heavy British accent, which complemented his tobacco pipe and large suit.

"A young lady?" I asked, chuckling.

"Oh yes, my boy," said the professor. "A very charming girl about your age. Very easy on the eyes as well, if you'd like to know. There's a painting of her on the wall." He pointed toward the large painting over the fireplace. I took a glance and my jaw dropped.

Easy on the eyes was an understatement. This girl was downright beautiful. She had the most stunning green eyes that matched her long hair, which was tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing a blue dress that looked like a noble woman's costume from a Renaissance fair, and had the slightest hint of a frown on her face. Nonetheless, I was taken aback.

"She wasn't fond of that dress," chuckled Professor Dumas. "That one was chosen especially for the painting. Her normal attire is a tad more revealing."

Well, that was good to know.

"She's someone who'd be interested in me?" I asked. "Somehow I doubt that. Is she your granddaughter?"

"Hardly," he chuckled. "She is a good friend of mine, though. I'll tell you what, I'll introduce you to her if you can defeat me in a game of chess. I want to measure how much that young lady would be interested in you."

Not really an offer I could turn down. This was a chess match to get a girl interested in me. I'd take a few of his pieces, show off some good moves and impress the guy enough to introduce me to my new potential girlfriend. If only things were that easy.

The game started with me at the white side and him at the black side. I began by moving my pawn at position E-2 two spaces forward, freeing my Queen and White Bishop. He countered by moving his knight to G-6, performing the famous Alekhine's Defense...

And I'm sure that so many people would be fascinated by the strategies and tactics of a game of chess and the hours upon hours that this particular game lasted, but let's just skip toward the ending, for the sake of your interest and for the sake of my boredom.

"Well played, my young tactician," he smiled. "Your defensive strategies are superb."

"Without soldiers, a battle can't be fought," I replied, taking his knight with my rook. "If you try to take one down, I'll make sure that one of yours goes with it."

He replied by taking my last bishop. "You are an excellent strategist, my young friend. That young lady will be thrilled when I introduce you to her."

I smiled as I looked at the board. "Then you'd better give her a call now." I moved my pawn forward. "Checkmate."

Professor Dumas just smiled and clapped gently. "A lowly pawn is what secured your victory." he chuckled. "You have proven yourself worthy, Sean Masters. It is time for you to face your destiny."

'Sweet!' I thought. 'I'll finally get a girl...hold up, did he just say my destiny?'

The windows and the doors slammed shut and the scattered papers around the room began to fly around the room controlled by a wind that surrounded the two of us. The professor stood up and his eyes began to glow yellow.

"What's going on?" I shouted over the wind.

"Sean Masters! You are the only one worthy! You are to be a tactician traveling across the continent of Elibe, and it is your destiny to save that world from destruction!"

"Elibe? Destruction? What the hell is going on?!" I shouted. And with that question unanswered, I blacked out.

* * *

Okay, well, that was honestly one of the more exciting games of chess I had ever played in my life. How many of those can you say made your opponent's eyes glow and summon a tornado? I'm thinking at the very most the number can be counted with one hand. Yeah, old man, see if I play any more chess games with you after this. I resolved then that I would call the police on that freak for knocking me out like that.

But first, regaining consciousness was definitely among the top things on my priority list, so calling the police was pushed down to a distant fourth, behind meeting that girl from the painting. She's the reason I played that chess game, after all.

"Are you awake?"

Hold up, that was totally a girl's voice. Wasn't I just in the house of that old guy? Don't tell me he carried me somewhere remote and...

At that point, it completely hit me that a girl was talking to me. I opened my eyes, and it was revealed to me that the girl was the one from the painting. I recognized her immediately. She had the same pearl white skin, and green eyes, and hair to match. Yes, green hair. It was slightly weird, but who as I to complain? It looked good on her.

"I really hope I'm awake..." I answered in a weak voice. I was practically kicking myself once those words came out of my mouth. Not exactly the words I wanted the first thing a girl hears me say. Strangely, though, she seemed more concerned about my dehydrated state than my words. Thank goodness. She came closer to me with a bowl of water and poured some into my mouth. I took a moment to let the cool liquid flow down my throat.

I managed to catch her scent at that moment. She smelled like grass and fresh-cut flowers, and her fragrance was so vivid. I was in heaven.

And once that moment passed, I realized that I was a sad, desperate loser who feels ecstatic when a girl is closer than two feet away from him. Not the most pleasant thought to cross my mind, I assure you.

"I found you unconscious on the plains," she told me. "I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. You're safe now."

Lyn. She already told me her name. This day is starting out really, really well.

And then what she just said hit me like a ton of bricks. I was found unconscious on the plains. The PLAINS. Let me tell you, I live nowhere near any setting that can be considered the plains. And what's this about the Lorca tribe? It was at this point that I considered my surroundings. I was in a tent. A well made tent, mind you, but a tent nonetheless. There were boxes lined up around me, and I was sleeping in what seemed to be the only bed in here.

"Right...I'm safe..." I muttered, still taking in the fact that I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Not that I was to begin with. I decided to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. That hurt a lot, so I most definitely was not dreaming. Who the heck came up with the pinching yourself thing, anyway?

"Who are you? Can you remember your name?" she asked me.

The sad thing was that, when I looked at her, I totally forgot who I was. It's one of those points where your mind draws a complete blank, and so it took me about ten seconds to get my brain to start working again and find my name.

"I'm Sean," I replied. "It's an honor to meet you, Lyn." An honor to meet you? That's smooth, buddy, real smooth.

"Your name is Sean? What an odd-sounding name..." she said. Odd-sounding. That was the first time it'd been called that. Though, at the time, I wasn't really paying attention to that sentence and more to her enticing...

"But pay me no mind. It is a good name," she finished. Yeah, my mind was definitely in the gutter. "I see by your attire that you are a traveler."

I looked down at myself and realized that my clothes had been changed. I now wore a gray tunic with a brown leather belt, and white tights underneath. I had green boots and gloves on, and was covered by a green cloak. Honestly, I did not normally dress this way.

I also took the time to look at her attire. It was indeed more revealing than in the painting. She wore what looked like a blue Chinese-style dress and a black undershirt, with a yellow sash tied around her waist, accenting her curves. The slits in her dress moved all the way up past her thighs, revealing her beautiful legs, which ended with her brown leather boots.

It only took a couple of seconds to take this in before I answered her. "I guess you could consider me a traveler," I replied. "I'm not really from around here."

"What brings you to the Sacae plains? Would you share your story with me?" she asked.

Story? What story? I was playing a chess game with an old guy and beat him, and then he started glowing and now I'm here. The details of my life aren't exactly the most interesting pieces of information that I could possibly share with her. As I was thinking of something to say, there was a noise from outside.

"Hm? What was that noise?" Lyn wondered aloud. "I'll go see what's happening. Sean, wait here for me."

She walked out of the tent for a few seconds, letting me get a full view of her. God, she was beautiful, and kind too. I felt incredibly lucky to be there at the time, but that feeling quickly subsided when she ran back inside.

"Oh no! Bandits!" she exclaimed. "They must've come down from the Bern Mountains! They must be planning on raiding the local villages. I...I have to stop them!" She ran over to one of the chests and took out a katana. "If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own."

On her own? That was the thought running through my head at the time. I took a peek out the door and saw a couple of big hulking brutes with axes across the plain. She thought she could handle those two guys on her own.

"You'll be safe in here, Sean," she told me, pulling me back from the doorway.

"Let me come with you!" I blurted. Bad move. I thought of Lyn fighting two against one with those two brutes before realizing that I had no clue how to fight at all. Well, that was unfortunate, but before I could take back what I said, she spoke up.

"What? You want to help? Well, can you use a weapon?" she asked me.

"Um...no..." I gave her a nervous chuckle. I didn't play that chess game to fight, I played it to impress her with my brain. It was then I remembered what Professor Dumas told me before I blacked out.

"I...I'm a tactician," I told Lyn. "I can help with my brain." Right, that sounded retarded.

"Ah, I see... So you're a strategist by trade?" she asked. Well, at least my idiotic statement was overlooked. "An odd profession, but... Very well, we'll go together!" She took my hand and lead me outside. At that moment, I was praying that the feeling of her hand on mine wasn't going to be the last thing I'd ever feel.

* * *

"Over here!" she called from behind some trees. "If you want to help, Sean, I could use your advice. I'll protect you, so stay close to me."

"Thank you," I said in a weak voice. Great, now I sound like a wimp. Thank goodness she wasn't paying attention to it and had her hand on her sword. Yeah, staying close to her would most definitely be a good idea.

"I need to be closer to the enemy," she whispered to me.

I assessed the situation. "Okay, looks like there are only two bandits. One's waiting outside that tent over there, and the other is just kind of wandering around. I think we can take the wandering one by surprise." Lyn nodded at me, took my arm and ran closer to the second bandit.

"Okay, this should be close enough," she told me. Right when she said that, the bandit turned and looked in our direction. "Oh no! The bandit's spotted me! He's coming this way!" she exclaimed, putting her hand on her sword hilt.

"Seeing as this is a plain, it's pretty easy to see you from any direction," I told her. "That guy's got a big axe, I bet he'll swing it slow as well. You can probably take him easily with your sword."

"Time to die, little girl," the bandit chuckled when he was close to us, lifting his axe. "RAAAH!"

"Now, strike!" I shouted. Lyn didn't need me to say anything though, because she had already jumped at the bandit, unsheathing her katana and giving him two good cuts across the chest.

"GAH! That hurt, you little bitch!" he screamed.

"Wow, I barely saw you move," I whispered to her. Lyn just smiled and sheathed her katana again. I probably shouldn't have spoken, because right when I did the bandit came and swung his axe again, this time cutting Lyn on the shoulder. The girl cried in pain and I moved over to help her up. Again, she didn't need my help, because she had already unsheathed her katana and made one final slash at the bandit. Blood flowed from the bandit's mouth as he fell backward, dead.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I had a growing urge to barf. I grew up in a more or less well-off neighborhood. Death wasn't something I dealt with casually. Though, Lyn seemed to have less of a problem with it. I looked at the man. How many people would he have hurt if Lyn hadn't killed him? And, does what he might've done justify his fate? Lyn seemed to know the answer better than I did.

"Victory!" she cheered, raising her arm, but winced at the pain of the wound. "But I've been injured. I have need of a vulnerary." She looked at me. "There's a bandit over by the ger to the west."

"Right...what's a ger?" I asked.

"You don't know what a ger is?" she asked incredulously. "It's a type of round hut. Many nomads live in huts like these."

"Nomads, huh?" I chuckled. "That explains why you lived in a tent."

"Hmm...I would do well to administer a little first aid," she said, looking at the blood on her shoulder. That's all she could say after getting hit by an axe? Man, what a woman... My thoughts were interrupted by Lyn grabbing my arm again and pulling me closer to the ger. "I'm carrying a couple of vulneraries in my satchel," she told me. "They should heal me up. Would you get one for me?" I reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of the remedy in question. She knelt down in front of me. Unsure, I emptied a bit of the salve on her shoulder wound. Apparently that was the right thing to do, since the wound closed almost immediately. She smiled at me, moving her shoulder around to show that the pain was gone. "Thank you, Sean! Now, let's get that brigand over by the ger!"

"Great..." I muttered to myself, following her to face the last bandit. He looked tougher than the previous man. He had short blonde hair tied in a headband, and a scar next to his left eye. He took one look at Lyn and laughed.

"Who do you think you are, little girl? You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?"

"Oh wow, he's got a name," I muttered. "Careful, Lyn. He looks tougher than the other guy. Use your speed against his axe." Lyn nodded and jumped at him with her sword, slashing him across the chest. As she stopped, Batta managed to hit her with his axe on her previous wound. Lyn grasped the wound tightly in pain, and from what looked like sheer determination, swung at Batta once again with her katana, making another deep gash.

"Whew! He's tough..." She whispered. "I don't have time to apply a vulnerary. It all comes down to this next blow." She turned to me. "Sean, if I fall, I want you to flee. You must escape!"

Escaping would've been the logical choice here, considering Lyn is the only one who can hold a weapon, and apparently, I'm needed to save this world.

But somehow, I felt that I couldn't leave her. She saved me, and made me feel safe. She was with me when I needed her. And there was no way in hell that I would leave her for this Batta jerk to take away from me.

Thankfully, I didn't have to. Batta swung at her again, but she managed to dodge it, and she made another deep cut on his chest, and then disappeared. Then next thing I knew, she reappeared in front of the brigand and with a powerful thrust, stabbed him through the chest. As she pulled her sword out of his body, blood spilled out of his mouth. "What? How...How did you-" Those were his last words as he fell over dead.

"Whew, that was close," panted Lyn, obviously exhausted. "I sorely underestimated him. Sorry if I worried you."

"You're still worrying me," I smiled. "That wound needs to be treated. But, you were amazing out there, Lyn."

"I'll need to be stronger if I'm to survive..." she sighed, cleaning her sword of blood. "Strong enough that no one can defeat me." She sheated the blade and put her wounded arm over me. "Good work, Sean! Let's go home."

Home. I guess that's what I'll have to start calling here, then? I looked at Lyn as those thoughts went through my head. "I guess it's not so bad."

* * *

"Good morning, Sean! Are you awake yet?"

"Wha-?" I yawned as I got up. "Oh, Lyn..." I guess it wasn't a dream. I was still in that tent, or ger as I learned that the shelter was called.

"That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you," said Lyn, handing me a piece of bread, which I took graciously. I hadn't eaten since before meeting with Dumas for that chess game. I kept thinking back to that moment, when he transported me here, to the plains of Sacae, which don't exist on Earth. This continent is real, though. I'm real. I was supposed to save this continent using my brain. But, why?

"Say, Sean... I want to talk to you about something," Lyn said in a gentle voice.

"Um... Sure, Lyn. What's on your mind?" I asked.

"You have some experience in the ways of war, I can see..." she started.

Did I really seem that experienced? All I remember doing was following Lyn around as she kicked some serious bandit ass.

"Would you allow me to travel with you?" she asked.

Travel? That wasn't something I was thinking about. At that point, I would've been happy just living on the plains for a while with this beautiful swordswoman. But then I remembered my purpose for being in the Sacae Plains: I was supposed to save this world from... well, I had no idea at the time.

"Wouldn't it be better if we stayed here for a while?" I asked her. "I'm sure your parents will be back soon."

"What? You want me to get permission from my parents?" she asked me. Somehow I felt like I asked something incredibly dumb, which was confirmed when her expression changed to a sad one. "My mother and father...died six months ago."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know," I quickly replied, making a mental note not to bring up anything about her parents again in the future. She looked away from me for a bit, as if to hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"My people--the Lorca--they don't... I'm the last of my tribe," she continued softly. "Bandits attacked, and... they killed so many people. The tribe was scattered." She reached into her dress and pulled out a locket hanging around her neck. "My father was our chieftain, and I wanted to protect our people. But I'm so young, and our people were old fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me."

"I'd follow you," I whispered. Lyn turned toward me and gave me a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, wiping away her tears. "I've been alone for so long..."

I couldn't help but blush at that statement. This strong young woman who was able to take down Batta the Beast was breaking down in front of me. She had revealed her past to me, and now she was coming closer to me telling me how she'd felt so alone. Bottom line is that she seemed kind of like she was coming on to me. Then again, I wasn't entirely certain of the customs of a Sacaen, or anyone from this world. Maybe that's just how things worked around here.

"No, no more. I will shed no more tears," she stated firmly. She took a few moments to calm herself down before speaking up again. "Thank you. I'm better now. Sean, I want--No, I must become stronger, so that I may avenge my father's death!" The words flowed from her mouth with new resolve. "Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone." She took my hands into hers and moved closer to me, making me blush even further. Not exactly a comfortable feeling, but if I said I wasn't enjoying it, I'd be lying. "Sean, tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you!"

"T-Train you?" I stammered, trying to find some words to say. Heck, that battle the day before was the first time I even tried battle strategy, much less train her in any way, shape, or form. But, looking at her face full of determination, it would've broken her heart if I told her to just stay put. "Well, if you want to travel that much, I can't really say no..."

Her smile brightened and she hugged me tightly. If I was blushing before, I was probably like a tomato at this point. "You will? That's wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you!"

Uneasily, I hugged her back. "It's no problem," I whispered. "I'm sure we'll make a good team, Lyn."

"We'll be better off working together, I know it," she said as she released me from her embrace. "You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior!"

Well, can't say I wasn't pleased with her putting it like that.

"We can do it! Right?" she asked.

"Right..." I answered, trying to hide how unsure I was. I mean, a couple days before, I was helping this old guy unpack his boxes, and now, I'm suddenly a master strategist who's supposed to come up with unbeatable battle tactics against strong opponents who are aiming to kill me and this girl that I developed a crush on in the course of a day.

It was at that point I knew that life would definitely be "interesting" from that day forward.

_End Chapter_

_So, what do you think? It's going to be the same basic story as the game, but with some extra stuff with Sean the Tactician. If he ends up being a Gary Stu, please tell me. I do not want that to happen._

_Reviews would be greatly appreciated!  
_


	2. Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate

_A/N: Alright, reviews! And __10 of them! Within __4 days! Awesome, I'm so happy that people are enjoying this writing style, since I'm new to it. And always good to know that my OC is liked.  
_

_Thanks to Kizoku Seishin for the constructive criticism. I'll watch out for that later. And a special acknowledgment to Black Scepter. Apparently this story inspired his own._

_Also, just for clarification, Sean the Tactician is __not supposed to be me. I suck at chess._

_Okay, onto the next chapter!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate

The apprentice tactician Sean and the young swordfighter Lyn. A strange pair on an even stranger journey. It was a couple of days after we left Lyn's home and set off on our amazing adventure. Well, not quite amazing yet. We were short on supplies, since we agreed to travel light, so all we brought was a loaf of bread, some fruit, and a couple of hollowed gourds filled with water.

Over the course of these couple of days, I managed to study the map of Elibe to get a feel for exactly where I was. Elibe is a large continent made up of several major countries. The one we were in was Sacae, a large plain where tribes of nomads resided. To the north was Ilia, a mountainous region where it snowed a lot, and to the south was Bern, which was the largest of the countries. West of Bern was Lycia, a nation composed of many smaller territories each with their own ruling House. To the southwest of Lycia was the Nabata Desert, a desert peninsula which was, as far as the map could say, uninhabited. To the northwest of Lycia was Etruria, the second largest country on the Elibe. Finally, the Western Isles were to the west of Etruria, an archipelago of smaller islands.

Lyn had us begin by going to the city of Bulgar in order to stock up. I figured that we could spend a few nights there, buy some supplies, have some romantic dinners... Well, okay, that last one was pure fantasy at this point, but hey, I can dream, right?

"Sean, over here!" Lyn called as we entered the town gate. "This is Bulgar, the biggest city in all of Sacae. We should purchase supplies for our journey."

"Right," I said. "Supplies... Where do we go then?"

"The marketplace," Lyn replied.

"Oh, right," I said, resisting the urge to smack my forehead. "That probably shouldn't have been a question I needed to ask."

Lyn laughed lightly. "It's alright, Sean. You don't need to try to sound like you always know what to say. It doesn't suit you."

That's good to know. So I apparently should never know what to say. Great...

"Oh, that's not what I meant, Sean!" said Lyn, seeing my face. "I meant that you're not a poet, so you don't need to sound like one..."

"Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!" a voice came from behind us. The irony kills me.

"Hm?" Lyn replied. We turned to see a tall knight wearing green armor. He had well kept brown hair and a black headband, and a bright smile planted on his face. He made his way over to Lyn and took her hands into his.

"Wait, O beauteous one! Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?"

If I said that I wasn't jealous, I'd be lying. This knight, who I had never seen before, was making moves on my girl! And better yet, he was a smooth talker! Okay, to be fair, Lyn wasn't my girl yet. At that point, she didn't see me as more than a good friend, and I'm sure this guy had the fair maidens falling all around him.

I was just glad to see that Lyn wasn't one of them. "Where are you from, sir knight, that you would speak so freely to a stranger?" she asked.

"Ha! I thought you'd never ask!" he exclaimed in a victorious tone. "I am from Lycia. I hail from the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire!"

"That's totally original," I muttered under my breath.

Lyn raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?"

Thank god she wasn't falling for his smooth talk. I couldn't help but chuckle, not at Lyn's words, but at the fact that this girl likes to talk to me, but not a womanizer like this green knight.

The knight did not seem to be one to back down, however. "Oooooh... You're even lovely when you're cruel."

Lyn just gave him a look of disgust and took my arm. "Let's go, Sean. I have nothing more to say," she said.

"I don't think you need much more to say," I replied. "That 'callow oaf' thing seems to have made your point pretty clear." Lyn and I then turned our backs on the knight and walked away.

"Wait, please..." he called, but we didn't hear anything else.

"The nerve of that knight," Lyn said in an irritated tone. "Trying to take me like some sort of jewelry. If I wasn't trained in restraint by my father..."

"The guy was kind of annoying," I replied. Lyn still had an irritated look on her face, and it was making me feel uncomfotable. I needed to say something that would lighten the mood so that our travels would be enjoyable again. "He was right about you being lovely when you're cruel," I finally managed to say. I mentally slapped myself immediately after the words came out of my mouth.

"The next time he tries to flirt, I'll show him exactly how 'lovely' I can be," Lyn growled, and then stopped. "Sean, we were going to the marketplace, weren't we?"

"I think so," I replied.

"Then we just headed in the wrong direction," sighed Lyn. We looked back toward the green knight, who was talking to another knight in red armor. Their horses were standing next to them on the small road, effectively blocking it.

"Which means we now have to go back, and ask them to move their horses," I sighed. "Awesome..."

"What do you know of courtesy?" the red knight asked the green knight angrily as we approached them.

"Excuse me! You're blocking the road," said Lyn. "If you would be so kind as to move your horses..."

"Of course, my apologies," said the red knight, tugging on the reins of his horse to move it.

"Thank you. You at least seem honorable enough," said Lyn, glaring at the green knight.

"Yeah, thanks," I followed. I turned to the green one. "Be glad your friend is a decent guy, pal. I think my friend was about to slice your lips off with her sword if you didn't shut up."

"Oh, you wound me," chuckled the green knight. We began to walk past them when the red knight spoke up.

"Hm? Pardon me, but..." he began speaking with a thoughtful tone. "I feel we've met before."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Lyn. I looked at her, who didn't seem to recognize that guy at all. Great, I finally meet a girl, and now everyone and their uncle is after her. My life was just typical like that.

"Hey! No fair, Kent! I saw her first!" shouted the green knight.

"Tsk!" Lyn scoffed angrily. "It seems there are no decent men among Lycia's knights!" She turned to me. "Let's go, Sean! I've run out of patience." Judging by the look on her face, it wouldn't have been smart to disagree, and so I followed her toward the marketplace. I could hear the one called Kent calling for us to wait, but Lyn wouldn't even turn her head in his direction.

Ah, the tribulations of a striking beauty.

I'm just glad I didn't say that out loud. I looked back at the knights when we were a good distance away. The two guys were arguing again. I wondered if this would happen every time we go into a city: a couple of guys would start hitting on Lyn, she'd get angry and the guys would be arguing forever after. Somehow it made me happy that Lyn actually liked me.

Somehow I think I'm pathetic.

"So..." I tried to begin a conversation.

"Those knights!" Lyn gave an exasperated shout. "Honestly, Sean, I'm sorry if you were planning to travel to Lycia, but I think that we should try moving toward Ilia. I have a good friend from there, and their warriors are much more courteous than those two."

"I didn't actually plan on moving toward Lycia," I shrugged. I wasn't lying. Actually, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. It wasn't like I had a way to get home. My time just seemed like it was best spent with Lyn.

Of course, there was also the fact that I had some sort of destiny to fulfill. Something about saving this world.

So, anyway, we shopped around the marketplace for a while. We bought some bread, and some spices that Lyn wanted to use to make stew with. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the two knights were wandering around the marketplace as well.

"Those two don't give up," I muttered.

"Just ignore them," said Lyn with an irritated tone, walking to another vendor, a big bald guy with a scar on his right cheek. "Hello, we'd like to purchase some dried meat."

"Coming right up," he said in a gruff voice. He picked up his butcher knife as Lyn was looking at the different kinds they had. I noticed the guy had an evil looking smirk on his face and lifted the knife...

"Lyn! Look out!" I shouted, pulling her away. The knife made a deep cut...through a thick slab of salted meat.

"Eh? Sean, what's wrong?" Lyn asked.

I was getting strange glances from the people around us. Great, I had made an idiot of myself. It wasn't really a new experience, but somehow it wasn't comforting to realize that no matter where I am, I can manage to put myself into really awkward situations.

"Um...there was a huge spider near your feet?" I said nervously, trying to think of an excuse. Lyn gave me a weird look.

"Was that cause for alarm?" she asked. I sighed. Lyn wasn't an ordinary girl, after all. I'm sure she's dealt with much worse than large spiders. Large bandits, for example.

"Here's yer jerky, miss," said the butcher, handing her a sack.

"Thank you," said Lyn, taking the sack and putting some silver into his hand. She put the sack of jerky into the bag of supplies I was carrying. "Come, Sean. If you're afraid of spiders, I think it's best if we leave. We have enough food for at least a week now."

Now she thinks I'm afraid of spiders. Perfect.

As we left, I noticed a large man who seemed to be following us. I wanted to say something, but given the incident at the meat vendor, my brain was telling me that I was just paranoid.

Turns out, just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean that they're not after me... or Lyn in this case.

As we made our way out of the city, I could see the man better. He was still following us, and I now noticed that he had a large axe strapped across his back.

"Um... Lyn?" I tugged at her sleeve to get her attention. "If there's a big scary looking guy with an axe that looks like he's following us, what should we do?"

"Run, of course," she replied.

"Then, I think that would be a smart decision," I told her, pointing to the man. "He's been with us since we left the marketplace."

When the man saw me point to him, he had the expression of a hunter who was about to catch his prey, and signalled for some other men to come out. Lyn noticed this gesture, and took my arm.

"Run!!! We're being pursued!" she shouted, and we ran out of the city gate. "Could it be those knights from town?" she asked.

"Somehow I doubt that," I replied.

"No... It's not them. These men are out for blood!" she said, stopping and putting her hand on her sword hilt. "Stay close to me, Sean."

Right, like I was going to leave.

The man came closer to us, giving me a better look at him. He was large, and had gray hair and a scar over his right eye, and a gruff, unshaven chin. Lyn took a step back with a glare.

"Heh heh hehh..." he chuckled. "Aren't you the pretty one!"

"Back off, pal," I warned. "You don't know who you're dealing with..."

To this, he smirked. "Your name is Lyndis, is it not?"

Lyn's eyes widened, and her glare changed to a frightened stare. "W-What did you call me?" she asked. "...Who are you?"

"Lyndis?" I wondered aloud. Was that her full name?

The man chuckled, moving closer to her and stroking her cheek. "Such a waste. An absolute waste. The things I do for gold... Ah well, time to die, darlin'!" That did it, I was really angry now.

"I told you to back off!" I shouted, knocking his arm away from Lyn. Bad move. He retaliated by punching me across the face, knocking me to the ground.

"Sean!" shouted Lyn, running over to me and helping me up. She glared at the man. "I don't care who you are, but no one hurts my friend without punishment!" She unsheathed her sword and pointed it at him.

The man chuckled again. "C'mon out boys! This kitten's got claws!" From behind some trees, four more men with axes appeared. Lyn stepped back.

"Oh no! There are more than I can handle..." said Lyn, but her look changed to a determined one. "But I'll not give up!"

"No, Lyn! There's too many of them!" I told her. She was hurt pretty badly in that fight the other day with Batta the Beast, and that was when there were only two guys. There were now four bandits, each one specifically after her life!

"Hey! There she is!" a familiar voice came from behind the huge man.

"Huh?" wondered the man.

"What?" asked Lyn.

The two knights we met before rode out of the town gate, and stopping when they were near us.

"Whew... finally caught up..." panted the green knight. He pointed his lance at the head bandit. "Hold! You there! What is your business?" He then took a look at the number of bandits who had come out, and scoffed. "Such numbers against a girl? Cowards! Every one of you!" The head bandit growled and ran across the bridge over a nearby river.

"You!" exclaimed Lyn. "You're from--"

"We can discuss that later," the red knight interrupted. "It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, let them look to me!"

"Stand back! I'll take care of this!" said the green knight, moving in front of the red one.

"No!" shouted Lyn. "This is my fight! Stay out of my way!"

"Lyn, these guys want to help us," I told her, trying to convince her that she couldn't possibly take all of these guys on her own without serious injury.

"Well, I can't stand by and do nothing..." said the green one.

"I have a solution," said the red knight, pointing to me. "You there, command us."

"Me? Command?" I asked. "But-"

"I am Kent, a knight of Lycia," he interrupted. "My companion is Sain. We will follow your orders in this battle." He turned to Lyn. "Is this acceptable, milady?"

"Yes, it is. Sean and I will lead. Let's go!" she replied, smiling. "We will win. Sean is an excellent tactician."

"Really, now?" smiled Sain. "Then I will follow your commands to the very letter!"

Great. Just as a reminder, I had never done this before. The only strategies I had ever come up with were in chess, and there, it was more often than not necessary to sacrifice pieces in order to win. Now I was to come up with new strategies on the fly, with people counting on me to make it out alive. A wrong command here could mean I get someone on my side killed. No pressure. No pressure at all.

Well, what could I do? Everyone seemed to be waiting for my directions. I took a quick scan of the area: It was more wooded than near Lyn's house, and the brigands were scattered around them, with the head bandit being furthest away from us, across a stream with a bridge big enough for one person to cross at a time.

"Alright, let's see," I wondered aloud. "Sain, you get the bandit closest to us. He's behind those trees over there."

"As you command," smiled Sain, and he rode over toward the brute, and thrust his lance at him. Well, he missed, and the brigand retaliated with his axe, which Sain managed to dodge just enough to not take serious damage. Sain rode back toward us, with the bandit following.

"Good grief," muttered Kent. "Sean, allow me to make up for my companion's blunder."

"Be my guest," I told him, and he rode toward the approaching bandit with sword in hand. The bandit didn't have a chance as Kent gave him a good slash across the neck before the man could retaliate.

"Lyn, go finish the job," I told her.

"It would be my pleasure," she smiled, and ran toward the bandit, keeping her hand on the hilt of her blade. As she ran past the man, she drew her blade, and in the process, cut the ruffian across the chest. I think the technique is called battou-jutsu. I remember it from some anime I liked to watch.

"Aw, you two didn't let me take him," Sain complained.

"Sain!" Kent shouted in exasperation. "Why aren't you using your sword?"

"Well, a lance is more heroic," shrugged Sain. "A knight should look more heroic, don't you think?"

"You're hopeless," Kent shook his head. "If you don't take fighting more seriously, you're going to find yourself at the end of a blade."

"Truth be told, I...forgot to buy a sword," chuckled Sain.

Kent raised an eyebrow. "Forgot? Or were you simply too busy dallying with the ladies?"

Sain looked hurt. "Don't be so mad! I'll be fine with a lance. I'm that good!"

Kent sighed. "I'd prefer to rely on your skill, not your empty bragging!" Kent sighed in defeat, and pulled out a sword. "Here, take my spare blade and use it to attack next time!"

Sain looked excited as he took the sword from Kent. "Are you sure? My thanks, Kent!"

Kent just shook his head. "You're almost more trouble than you're worth. Almost."

For fear of losing face as a tactician, I didn't try asking why a sword would be better than a lance. I managed to reason a bit out of this conversation, though. Apparently, lances don't do well against axes because axes are faster, the long reach not being a problem for dodging, and are more powerful, whereas swords focus on being quick and accurate, so a lance's long reach would hinder the strike of the sword, no matter how fast it is. However, swords easily beat axes simply because they're faster, and the length of the axe is insignificant compared to that of a lance.

"Right, gotta remember that," I said to myself. Of course, standing around an talking for a while is not a solid strategy, as the next bandit was already upon us.

"Hehe, time to die, little missie," he smirked. Lyn dodged the axe quickly, and Sain rode in to help.

"I'll definitely hit him this time," he smiled, brandishing his sword. Unfortunately, as he swung, the bandit moved behind a tree, and the sword was caught a branch. Before the bandit had a chance to strike at Sain, Kent leapt into battle with his sword drawn and thrust his blade into the brigand's heart, killing him instantly.

"Gah!" muttered Sain. "I was so focused on attacking that I didn't notice..."

"Your lack of attention may someday cost you your life," said Kent, swinging the sword to fling the blood off, and riding toward the nearest bridge.

"Fine! I understand! Let it go, Kent!" shouted Sain, riding after him.

"If you truly understand, then act like it!" Kent shouted back.

"Are you sure that we should be trusting these two, Sean?" asked Lyn.

"I think they'll be fine," I told her. "Sain just wants to impress you and is trying too hard. Let's move toward the bridge closest to that guy who touched your cheek with his filthy paws. Kent and Sain will take care of the other bandit."

Lyn nodded and we ran toward the other bridge. As we ran, I called out to the two knights.

"Kent! Sain!" I called out to them. "We're going after number 1, so you two take care of that other guy so that we can take him together!"

Sain used his sword to cut down the brigand as I said that. "Alright, he's taken care of!" Sain called to me.

I looked at Lyn. "Apparently he's really good when he actually hits the opponent."

She laughed a little at that, but was nearly caught off guard by the fourth brigand, who ambushed us from behind a tree. Lyn wasted no time in grabbing my arm and moving behind a branch. The brigand managed to swing, but his momentum was slowed just enough by branches that we were able to dodge. Lyn then pulled off another battou-jutsu on him, and a second strike with her sword, killing him.

"I should thank Sain for that," smiled Lyn. "His mistake showed a good way to use the terrain to our advantage."

If I had a notebook, I would've written that down. Use terrain to our advantage. That was, of course, obvious, but it was kind of hard to think of strategies on the fly, and that was a good thing to keep in mind.

I don't think Lyn minded that I wasn't the one who came up with the idea.

Kent and Sain met us at the other side of the bridge, and we surrounded the final bandit, that ugly son-of-a-bitch who touched Lyn. Or Lyndis. I made a mental note to myself to ask her about that.

"Accursed knights, always tampering in others' affairs!" he grumbled, swinging his axe at Sain. The knight managed to dodge, and hit him back with his sword. Kent came and followed suit, dealing a good deal of damage to the brute. But the final blow came from my favorite swordfighter, who, with a powerful thrust of her blade, managed to impale the brigand through the chest.

"Blast..." He grumbled as he coughed up blood. "There was only...supposed to be a lone...girl..." And with that, the fight was over.

* * *

"Oh, what a cad I am! To wrinkle that perfect brow of yours with worry for me..."

"Uh..." Lyn started. "I was thinking of giving you a vulnerary, but... It looks like you're fine, so never you mind." She began turning around, when Sain spoke up.

"No, wait! I'll take it! Please! I'll take it!!"

Kent and I both laughed at the scene. Lyn had noticed the wound that Sain received against the first bandit, and was offering to help, but Sain's womanizing personality came into play again. Of course she refused, prompting the conversation. Lyn giggled and tossed him the sack of medicine.

"Lyn, you are such a tease," I laughed. Lyn just smiled innocently.

"Ah, much better," sighed Sain as he applied it on his wound. "You have my gratitude, my angel!" Lyn just rolled her eyes and turned to Kent.

"So, knights of Lycia. You were going to share your story with me?" asked Lyn.

"Yes," Kent answered. "We have ventured from Caelin, in Lycia, in search of someone."

"Lycia..." Lyn thought aloud. "That's the country beyond the mountains in the southwest, isn't it?"

Kent nodded. "Correct. We've come as messengers to the lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad some 19 years ago."

"Madelyn?" asked Lyn.

"Our lord, the marquess of Caelin's only daughter," Kent answered. "He was heartbroken his daughter would abandon him so. Eventually, the marquess declared that he had no daughter."

"Why are you looking for her now, after 19 years?" I asked. "That's longer than I've been alive!"

"This year, we received a letter from Lady Madelyn," Sain told me. "It said that she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae plains." He smiled. "The marquess was ecstatic that he had a granddaughter of 18 years. I remember the smile on his face when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. The granddaughter's name is Lyndis. This was also the name of the marquess's wife, who passed away at an early age."

"Lyndis?" Lyn and I asked at the same time.

"That she should bear this name thawed the marquess's heart," Sain continued. "Now, his only wish is to meet his daughter's family at least once. This is why we're here." His smile then faded slightly as he moved on. "We didn't know that Lady Madelyn died a few days after sending her letter. We only learned this shortly after we arrived here in Bulgar."

"But we also learned all was not lost," said Kent. "Her daughter yet lives. We heard that she was living alone on the plains..."

"I know it's probably completely obvious now," I started, "but are you suggesting that Lyn is the marquess's granddaughter?"

Kent nodded. "I... I knew it immediately." He faced Lyn. "You are the lady Lyndis."

Lyn took a step back, a look of shock was on her face. "Why would you think that..." she asked.

"Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable," said Kent.

"What?" asked Lyn. "Do you know my mother?"

"I'm sorry to say I never met her directly, but I saw her portraits in Castle Caelin," Kent replied.

Portraits of Lyn's mother. It just reminded me so much of that painting in Professor Dumas's house which lead me to play that chess game, which in turn transported me to Elibe. A thought then ran through my head. It was possible that Professor Dumas brought over the portrait from Castle Caelin, and so there was a chance that someone there could help me return home.

Lyn looked thoughtful. "To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn. But when I was with my parents... When it was just the three of us, I was Lyndis."

"So, Lyndis is your real name?" I asked her. Lyn answered with a nod.

"It's all so strange. I was all alone in the world, and now I have a grandfather. Lyndis... I never thought I would hear that name again."

"That's great, Lyn," I said. "You have a place to go to now."

Lyn looked thoughtful again, and then she realized something. "Wait! That bandit! He called me Lyndis, too!"

Oh, right. Forgot about that. That was a pretty important detail.

"What?" exclaimed Kent. "How could he have--"

"...He was a henchman of Lord Lundgren, wasn't he?" said Sain angrily.

"Lundgren? Who's that?" asked Lyn.

"He's the marquess's younger brother," Kent told her. "Everyone assumed the lady Madelyn was gone forever. This made Lord Lundgen heir to the marquess's title."

"Oh boy, this isn't going to end well," I muttered.

"To be blunt, milady," said Sain, "your existence is an obstacle to your granduncle's ambitions."

"That's-- But I have no interest in inheriting any title!" shouted Lyn.

"Unfortunately, your granduncle is not the sort of man to believe that," sighed Sain. "I believe the attempts on your life will persist."

"You mean we're going to be constantly attacked by bandits?" I asked. "I don't think we can handle that kind of fight every day."

"What should I do?" asked Lyn.

Kent stepped forward. "Accompany us to Caelin. Continuing on this way is dangerous."

Lyn sighed. "I feel I have little choice. I will go with you." She then looked at me for a second. "Kent, Sain, would you please excuse us for a minute?"

"Of course, milady," replied Kent. He grabbed Sain by the arm and dragged him away.

"Well, I guess we're headed toward Lycia then," I told her.

"Sean... I'm sorry. This changes everything," she sighed. "What will you do, Sean?"

What will I do? It was pretty much a no-brainer. "Well, I wouldn't want to leave your side, Lyn, so whatever you decide to do, I'll follow you."

"You...want me to decide?" Lyn asked. "Of course, your companionship would do much to ease my journey, but... It's going to be so dangerous."

"Hey, I'm the master strategist, remember?" I smiled. "You're my peerless warrior. I don't care how dangerous it is, we can face it together. Besides, there may be something in Castle Caelin that I need."

"So you'll come? Are you sure?" asked Lyn, excitedly. I nodded in reply, and was rewarded with a tight hug from Lyn. "Thank you! Let me ask once more for your friendship and your aid."

"N-No problem..." I replied. I think my face was as red as a tomato again. I swear, if she keeps doing this to me, my head's going to spontaneously combust from the rising body heat.

It didn't matter, though. We got through our second battle without any casualties, and now our journey actually had a goal: to travel to Castle Caelin and see Lyn's grandfather.

I had a specific goal, though: to see if there was a way for me to get home. I hoped that there would be answers for me in Caelin. Perhaps someone in the castle knew how to take me home.

Though, whenever I looked at the beautiful Sacaen swordswoman, I wondered if I even wanted to return home.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_The plot thickens! Well, you know that already, since most of you reading this have probably beaten the game, and you probably recognize a lot of the dialogue is directly from Fire Emblem. That was, of course, done on purpose. I'm sticking as close to the game storyline as possible._

_If it seems to be very rigidly sticking to the game, don't worry. In the upcoming chapters, I'll be putting a few more liberties in. You'll see what I mean._

_Also, please tell me if anything is wrong with the characters. I'm trying to keep them all the way they were in the game, without any bashing. I've seen quite a bit of Sain-bashing in the past. Trying to avoid that now. And of course, warnings about Gary Stu-ness would be good._

_Review!_


	3. Chapter 2: Sword of Spirits

_A/N: crosstrigger333 here! I'm glad most of you liked the previous chapter, even though it pretty rigidly stuck with the game. Thing is that the whole thing with Lyn's parents was a pretty important aspect, and Sain's bumbling was pretty prevalent in the game. I tried toning it down but not completely sure how well I succeeded._

_Anyway, I said I'd be taking liberties from this chapter forward, and I must say I'm pretty happy with the result. I just need you readers to review and tell me exactly how good (or bad) of a result this was._

_Enjoy and Review!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 2: Sword of Spirits

"Ow..." I muttered, getting up from my sleep. One day had passed since Lyn and I met Kent and Sain at Bulgar, meaning I had been on Elibe for a grand total of four days now. And I still wasn't used to sleeping on the ground.

We were only a few hours walking from Bulgar, but because we didn't have enough money for an inn, we were forced to camp out. We had found a nice clearing to camp for the night, and it was near a stream full of fish.

"Good morning, Sean!" Lyn called, getting up from the campfire.

"Morning," I replied, twisting my neck to the side to get rid of the stiffness. "What's for breakfast?"

"Kent caught some Sacaen catfish earlier," she told me. "It's delicious if you add the right spices to it."

"Yummy," I replied, getting up and patting the dirt off of my green cloak. "I'd really like to go sleep in a house sometime so I could clean up a bit."

"Here," Lyn handed me a bowl of some liquid. I drank some, and spit it out. It was the nastiest drink I had ever tasted.

"What is this?" I asked her. Lyn giggled a bit before answering.

"It's the juice from a special fruit grown in Sacae," she told me. "It's for cleansing the mouth, not for drinking."

Oh, that explains it. So it pretty much was the equivalent of mouthwash. Which was good, because I hadn't been able to brush my teeth since I arrived in Sacae, and I'm pretty sure that my breath was horrible.

Lyn took a bit of the mouthwash juice and swirled it a bit in her mouth before spitting it out on the ground next to me. I would say that it was disgusting, except it was Lyn doing it. It was a strangely good feeling that Lyn would do something like that so freely in front of me. I took the bowl from her and did the same thing, except when I spit it out, it managed to land on Sain's foot as he was walking toward us.

"Oh crap, sorry Sain!" I apologized quickly.

Sain looked at me with a hurt face. "Oh my dear Sean, if you had so much hatred for me, all you had to do was say so and I would leave."

"I-I don't hate you, Sain," I said. I was so worried about losing one of my allies that I didn't catch the sarcasm in his voice, and the green knight laughed at the lack of insight.

"I'm only joking, my friend," he laughed. "I wouldn't leave you alone with this lovely Sacaen goddess when you have never held a sword before!"

Lyn laughed a little. "Thank you, Sain, but..." she put her arms around my waist. "I think we can take care of ourselves."

"Uh... uh..." I had a hard time coming up with words to say. I think that the part of my brain that contained my vocabulary was malfunctioning from a high temperature. But Lyn felt so good on my back...

"Oh dear, Sean," Sain shook his head, smiling. "I see why you would want me to leave so..."

"Heh...i-it's not really l-like that..." I stammered, looking at Lyn, who just had a smile on her face. She giggled as she let me go.

"I'm only teasing, Sean," she laughed.

"Right, I know," I chuckled nervously. I'm pretty sure my face was still beet red. "I-I'm going to go get some of that catfish now..."

"Yes, it should be ready now," said Kent, who came from behind us. "I apologize for not making my presence known, but I did not wish to interrupt."

I blushed again. Seriously, I hate how I react to pretty girls. In that regard, I suppose I'm a lot like Sain, except he has the confidence to let his feelings out, while mine are bottled up inside. I think the cause is a history of being made fun of since the first grade for not being interested in things that the other kids were. There's some sort of psychological blockade in my head that keeps my mouth shut.

By the end of this journey, I think my head will explode from the pressure.

* * *

After that very awkward breakfast, the four of us packed and moved onward toward Lycia. Well, we would have, except Lyn had another suggestion.

"Sean, hold a moment, and allow me a short detour," she said after we packed. "There is a sacred sword enshrined in a temple east of here. The people of Sacae go there to pray for safety at the onset of a long journey."

"Oh, how quaint!" exclaimed Sain.

"The teachings of Elimine have the most followers in Elibe," said Kent. "It is nice to see that, here at least, the ancient customs are still observed."

"Of course we can go," I told her. It wasn't like I was any sort of hurry or anything. Plus, I doubt Lyn would've forgiven me if I ignored her request. And that was something I really didn't want to happen.

So, we made our way to the large temple in the east to pray to the magic sword of Sacae. However, surprise surprise, when we got there, we were greeted with some unfortunate news.

"I beg your pardon, milady, but are you headed east? To the altar?" an older woman asked Lyn as we arrived.

"Yes, we are indeed," Lyn answered.

"Then you must hurry and help the priest there," she said. "I saw a band of local ruffians head in there not long ago. They seemed intent on stealing the sacred sword!"

"Oh, this is just typical..." I muttered, exasperated. Stupid bandits. It's like we're magnets for them or something. I'd only been in Sacae for four days, and somehow, we run into bandit raids every day. I had a feeling that by the time we got to Lycia, there wouldn't be any more bandits in Sacae because we'd have killed them all.

"The Mani Katti..." whispered Lyn, ignoring my muttering. "They're planning to steal it? I cannot allow this to happen!"

The woman looked at us. "You look like a virtuous group. Please, help him!"

"Right, we will," I told her. "Just go hide somewhere, alright?" She nodded and ran away. Looking back, I realize that we never saw her again. Apparently she ran very far away.

"Lyndis, what are you planning?" asked Sain.

"If you hope to go to the priest's aid, you'll need to prepare," Kent told her.

"You're right..." said Lyn, turning to me. "Say, Sean. There are some homes to the south of us. Perhaps we should go question the residents."

"That might be a good idea," I replied. "If we can get some more info on this place, I may be able to come up with a good strategy."

Do you think I sounded overconfident? I wasn't, I was scared. I was getting the hang of coming up with tactics, with experience being my teacher, but I was still a rank amateur at this.

However, when there were these people counting on me, I knew that I need to show confidence so that they don't worry. I was their tactician, their leader. And I needed them to believe in me.

* * *

"Oh mister sword robber!" I called from the temple entrance about thirty minutes later.

"Who are you?" a voice boomed from inside. A man came out from the back of the temple, holding a large sword and a katana, what was presumably the Mani Katti. "How did you get past my guards?"

"Those were guards?" I asked. "Oh, see, I thought they were bandits so my friend took care of them while we were on our way in."

"What?!" he demanded.

"It is as he said," said Lyn, walking into the temple. "They attacked us, so they got a taste of my blade."

"You filthy bitch!" the man shouted, taking a large sword from his back. "Who do you think you are? What chance do you have against me? I may not be able to draw the Mani Katti, but I am certain that this sword will be enough for you!"

"A duel, then," said Lyn, unsheathing her iron sword. "Between you and me."

"Tsk, I don't need to fight you, girl," smirked the man. "Your little boyfriend is unarmed, so I think I'll take care of him first!"

"W-Wait!" I stammered. The plan I had come up with focused on Lyn leading this guy into a duel. I expected him to accept, which would buy some time for the execution of the other plan. Thinking back, I probably shouldn't have come to the entrance with her.

It was only my second time doing this, and I'm only human.

"No! Stop!" shouted Lyn. Too late, he was already trying to bring his sword down on me. I closed my eyes and braced for impact.

"That's quite enough, Mister Glass," said a familiar voice. I opened my eyes to see Kent blocking the swordsman with his lance at his throat.

"Wh-Who are you?" asked the swordsman, obviously surprised. "How did you get behind me?"

"There was a weak wall toward the back of the altar," I smiled. "We found out from some of the people in the houses outside of here. It was very difficult for horses to cross the large hills blocking the altar, so we had to find another way here. When I called you out here, it was to make sure that you didn't notice us trying to break through."

"Impossible!" shouted Glass. "A single knight cannot penetrate a stone wall so quickly!"

"It goes a bit faster when there are two," I smiled triumphantly. As if on cue, Sain came out of the temple, with an old man standing next to him.

"You coward! Locking an old priest in the back of the temple," said Sain, pointing his lance at Glass. "I swear I will make you pay at the end of my lance!"

"Wait!" said Lyn. "Glass. I challenge you to a duel. The winner takes the Mani Katti."

"Lyn, what are you doing?" I asked. "We have this guy surrounded! He doesn't stand a chance against the three of us!"

"It is the pride of a swordsman," said Lyn. "If he wants the Mani Katti, he must retrieve it honorably."

"No, young lady! It is too dangerous!" said the priest. Glass just smiled.

"You really wanna throw your life away, just like that?" he laughed, throwing down the sacred sword. "So be it! I'll kill you and then sell this fine piece of metal, before taking this temple down brick by brick!" The priest took the chance to pick up the sword and take it inside.

"Kent, Sain, please don't interfere," Lyn said with determination, and then looked at me. "Sean..."

"Do what you have to," I sighed. "It's not like I'd be much help here."

Lyn smiled. "I will forever be your peerless warrior, Sean."

Glass made the first move, charging at Lyn with his large broadsword, swinging downward. Lyn moved to the side to dodge it, unsheathing her sword and slicing at him. Glass was quick to notice this, and dodged just enough for the sword to miss him. Taking his broadsword again, he swung horizontally and Lyn, who, having little time to react blocked with her sword, but his was too big and knocked her back into the wall.

"Shit," I whispered. "A sword that big with that much momentum can't be good for a small sword like Lyn's to block..."

"I believe that lady Lyndis knows what she's doing," Kent assured me. "You should believe in her as well."

Lyn pushed back the broadsword and made a thrust toward Glass's chest. Glass moved a bit to the side, but Lyn managed to catch his left shoulder.

"Grahhh!" he cried in pain, and knocked Lyn into a wall with the broad side of his blade. Lyn grunted in pain from the collision. Glass proceeded to swing again, catching Lyn on the shoulder, and she let out a cry of pain.

"Lyn!" I shouted, trying to run to her, but Sain grabbed my arm and shook his head.

"You must not interfere, Sean," he told me. "Our lady Lyndis is fighting with everything she has. It is truly a beautiful sight."

"Lyn..." I whispered. Duel or no duel, I couldn't stand to see her in pain like that. That moment, I realized that I had really fallen for her in these last few days. She was there for me ever since I arrived in Sacae. She was my peerless warrior. She was my savior.

She was getting up.

"Sean, please don't worry about me," Lyn panted, smiling. "I won't lose to him." I wanted to believe her, but it was clear that her stamina was giving out, and her shoulder was aching and bloodied. Her style of swordplay focused on finishing quickly with fast and powerful strikes, but those had all been blocked by this man.

"Tough talk for a little girl," smirked Glass, picking up his sword again. "Die!" he swung his sword downward at Lyn. I averted my eyes at this part, not wanting to see the result. I didn't hear anything. There was no sound of metal, no agonizing screams, no grunts. I opened my eyes to the scene. Lyn, in a crouching stance, had her sword pointed at a 45 degree angle upward, impaling Glass in his chest, his sword missing her by only an inch to the left.

"She used his body momentum," I realized. "A powerful swing like that requires the entire body to move with the sword, so all Lyn had to do was wait for him to start his attack and then leave her blade pointed toward his heart. His own momentum would force his body onto the blade, killing him with very little effort. Lyn... you really are amazing..."

"You... You... Urrgh..." were the last words of the swordsman named Glass, before he died on Lyn's blade.

"It's over..." Lyn sighed, breathing heavily. She pulled her blade from his chest, wiped it clean, and sheathed it. She was obviously tired, and fell forward.

"Lyn!" I shouted, running over to catch her. "Lyn, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, Sean..." she smiled. "Thank you."

And once again, she proved she didn't need my help by getting up and applying a vulnerary to her wound. Kent and Sain both ran toward her.

"Oh my lovely Lyndis! What a wonderful display of finesse and beauty!" said Sain. Lyn laughed at his antics.

"It was nothing," she said.

"I am impressed, lady Lyndis," smiled Kent. "You were fantastic."

"Thank you, Kent," she replied.

"It was a job well done, young lady," said the priest, coming out of the temple. "Ah, your clothing... Are you of the Lorca tribe?"

"Yes, I am the chieftain's daughter," Lyn replied. "Are you hurt, sir?"

He smiled. "Thanks to you, I am unscathed. You have my gratitude."

"And the sword? Is it safe?" she asked.

The priest nodded, taking the sword from beneath his robe. "Yes, I have sealed the sword safely away. Until I remove my spell, the sword cannot be drawn. Now, as a token of my gratitude, I shall allow you to lay hands upon the Mani Katti. Touch the blade's pattern, and pray for a safe journey."

Lyn smiled, ecstatic. "Oh, thank you so much!" The old man handed the Mani Katti to Lyn, when the patterns on the scabbard began to shine brightly. Kent, Sain, and I had to cover our eyes for a second to prevent temporary blindness.

"Hm?" The priest was as surprised as we were.

Lyn looked confused. "What? Did-- The sword... It's... glowing."

The priest smiled. "It's the power of the spirits. Lyn, they have looked into your soul, and they call out to you."

"What does that mean?" Lyn asked, shocked at his words.

"You are its rightful owner," replied the priest. "You are to wield the Mani Katti."

"No way..." I whispered. "Lyn! This is amazing! You're like a chosen one! A legendary hero!"

Lyn shook her head. "No... I can't... I couldn't..."

"It is the sword's wish," said the priest. "If you require proof, draw it from its sheath."

Lyn nodded and did as she was told. The sword came out with no problem, and it was shining as brightly as the sun in Lyn's hand. She held the sword in awe. "It came out... effortlessly."

"I never dared to hope that I might meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. I am indeed fortunate to see your sword reach your hands," smiled the priest.

Lyn looked at him in shock. "My sword?"

"It is time for you to go, Lyn. You face a great many ordeals. Grip this sword, and meet your destiny head-on."

Lyn's shocked look subsided, and was replaced with an excited one. "Yes... Yes, sir!"

* * *

"So this is the Mani Katti. A blade with no equal," said Sain in awe at the sight of the blade after we left the temple.

"This is all so unbelievable. Perhaps the most famous sword in all of Sacae... in my hand," said Lyn.

"What are the chances?" I asked.

Kent shook his head. "It's not so strange. In fact, many legends tell similar tales... Special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners. And yet, when I saw you draw that blade, Lyndis... I felt something extraordinary. That sword was waiting for you. You were meant to draw it."

Lyn looked embarrassed. "Stop it! I... I'm nothing special!"

"Of course you are, Lyn!" I told her. "You're the only one who could've drawn that sword!"

Sain seemed to, for once, have a better response than I did. "Think of it this way: Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels very comfortable with you. Does this make it any easier for you to accept? It doesn't appear that any of us can use it."

Lyn looked at the blade and smiled. "It... does feel right in my hand. A blade that only I can wield. That seems reasonable enough. I can understand that." She unsheathed the blade and showed it to me. "Look at it, Sean. This is the Mani Katti. This is... my sword. I must care for it well."

"I know you will," I told her.

* * *

Later that night, we had set up camp again. Kent and Sain had fallen asleep near their horses, and it was Lyn's turn for guard duty. As for me, I was rolling around uncomfortably on the hard ground.

"Forget it, I can't sleep," I muttered to myself. "I'm going to feel so dizzy in the morning." I sat up from my sleeping bag, and saw Lyn holding the Mani Katti and gazing at the stars.

"Lyn," I whispered. I got out of my sleeping bag and walked to where she was sitting.

"Did you have trouble sleeping, Sean?" Lyn asked me before I was able to open my mouth.

"A bit," I replied. "The ground is a bit too soft. It needs to be rock hard in order for me to sleep properly."

Lyn giggled a little. "I saw a large rock you can rest your head on if you'd like."

"Did you find more than one? I'd like to rest the other parts of my body as well," I joked. We shared a laugh for a few seconds, and then had a few seconds of awkward silence, which I tried to break. "Lyn... You were amazing today."

"Thank you, Sean," she smiled. "But, I was just fighting. There's nothing amazing about that."

"You were fighting to protect something sacred," I replied. "And that stuff about the honor of a swordsman, that was great. If anyone deserves the Mani Katti, it's you."

"Sean, I don't know," she sighed, looking at her new sword. "I never wanted to be a chosen one, or the inheritor of a title. I just wanted to live peacefully on the plains."

"What's happened has happened," I told her. "You've discovered a few things about yourself these last couple of days, Lyn. Once this information has been presented to you, it's up to you to use it to decide what the best course of action to take is." Whoa, did that really just come out of my mouth? I'm better than I thought.

Lyn considered what I said for a few seconds, and nodded. "I know what the best course of action is, then. We will go see my grandfather."

"If that's what you've decided, then I'll follow you," I replied. "After all, you're my peer-" I was interrupted by Lyn getting up and hugging me. And here comes the tomato face.

"Sean... I'm so glad that we met," she whispered. "You can't realize how much it means to me that I have a friend like you..."

Well, can't say I wasn't happy about those words. It's not exactly something that's been said to me before, especially by a girl like Lyn. Maybe I did have a chance with her.

Now, if only I could think of something to say in response.

Damn... overheating... brain...

* * *

_End Chapter_

_A/N: Well? Liberty enough for ya? Couple of added scenes, some added dialogue, and a fight scene that was both fun and hard to write. Just need to know what you all think of it. Review!_


	4. Chapter 3: Band of Mercenaries

_A/N: Well, dang it, just barely shy of 30 reviews, which would put the average review count per chapter on this fic at 10. That's my usual goal. Ah well, I've got this chapter written so I might as well put it up. I'm happy that this story has so many people reading it, I just wish there were a few more reviews. No big deal, though._

_Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 3: Band of Mercenaries

It was about twelve days after the Mani Katti incident. We had made our way west from the temple, and began crossing the mountain range that separates Bern from Sacae. Lyn had told me a little about the many bandits around this area, the cruelest of which were the Taliver, the ones that killed Lyn's entire tribe. They wreak havoc on Sacae and Bern, and their savagery knows no bounds.

Going through bandit-infested territory wasn't really something I considered a smart move. We'd had quite a few run-ins with them in the few days after I arrived, and my tactical skills were still pretty amateurish. And apparently, if the guys we faced so far ever crossed the Taliver, let's just say that they wouldn't have very clean pants afterward.

However, going through Bern was apparently a non-option. As Kent put it, Lycian knights in Bern territory may be considered a declaration of war. And, well, that just wasn't cool.

So here we were, several days into the mountains, which, by the way, are not very fun to camp in, what with fear of bandit raids and all. We saw a sign pointing to this mountain village, so I thought we may be able to stay there for a night. Of course, Murphy's Law dictates that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

And, boy, did something go wrong.

"What happened here?" I asked as we arrived. Much of the village was in ruins, presumably from a bandit raid. Many buildings had been burnt down, and there were rotting corpses lining the street. I took a little time to to find a place to throw up.

"This place... it's..." Lyn whispered, seemingly trying to find words to describe the awful scene.

Sain finished for her. "The entire area is in ruins. Why doesn't their marquess do anything to help?"

"Taliver Mountain is home to a gang of vicious, ruthless bandits," Lyn told him. "No marquess holds power here. My village was near here, on the other side of the mountain. My people were... The Taliver bandits came at night. It took only one night. The survivors numbered less than ten, including me. They are soulless beasts." Lyn closed her eyes, obviously fighting back the tears that were forcing their way through. "I will never forgive them. Never."

"Lyn..." I whispered. She had told me of the Taliver on the way up the mountain, and about how they murdered her family, but somehow, I think it was worse once she was again surrounded by the result of their cruelty.

Lyn opened her eyes, letting a few teardrops roll down her cheek. "I am not running away. I will be back... someday. I'll be stronger... I will break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people. I'll do everything in my power."

Sain stepped forward with a more serious expression than what we were used to seeing. "When the time comes, bring me with you."

"Sain..." whispered Lyn.

"Don't forget me, either," said Kent, stepping forward as well.

"Kent..." Lyn whispered, obviously touched by the words of the two knights.

Well, what could I do? I stepped forward as well. "I said I'd follow you, Lyn, and I meant it," I said.

"Oh! You, too, Sean?" Lyn asked. She smiled at me, wiping away her tears. "I... You're... thank you."

We decided to keep moving forward, and make camp for the night somewhere. Turns out we didn't even get that far. We only went about fifty feet before we heard a girl's scream.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

"Well, if that isn't the sound of a damsel in distress, I don't know what is," I said to myself.

"Be on your guard, Lyndis," said Kent. "There seems to be some sort of commotion over there."

Lyn stepped forward to get a better look. "That's a pegasus..." she realized.

"A pegasus?" I asked. Like those winged horses I've seen in movies and stuff? I stepped forward to look as well, and the first thing I saw was a pure, beautiful white horse with very large wings. The second thing I saw was a beautiful girl with lavender colored hair. That's right. Lavender. The people of Elibe are weird. She was wearing what looked like light armor, the plating was blue, covering her... chest, and below was covered by a white skirt that ended near her thighs, and her legs were covered by very long blue boots.

And the third thing I saw were two ugly bandits harassing her. Man, why did I have to keep looking?

"Could it be?" wondered Lyn, running toward the pegasus girl. "Florina?" she called. "Is that you Florina?"

"Ah! Lyn?" the girl asked, surprised.

"They know each other?" I asked, looking at Sain, who shrugged. Well, that figures. Apparently all beautiful girls in Elibe know each other. Now, if only there weren't any bandits, then my life would be perfect.

"Florina! What are you doing in a place such as this?" asked Lyn, stepping between her and the bandits.

"Lyn! Is it really you?" the girl looked at her, tears beginning to well up. "I... I..."

Lyn grabbed her shoulders. "Come now, no crying!"

Well, she was about to do the same thing earlier, but who was I to judge?

"I'm sorry," Florina apologized.

"You are acquaintances?" asked Kent, riding toward the two.

Lyn nodded. "She's my friend. This is Florina, a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's a little uncomfortable around men."

A beautiful shy girl. Sain was probably having a heart attack right now.

"Tell me, Florina. What happened here?" asked Lyn.

Florina looked at the three of us and stepped back. "Well... um... When I heard that you had left... I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village... I flew down to ask if they had news of you. I didn't see these two, and... well..."

Lyn looked at her knowingly. "Did your pegasus land on them?"

Florina blushed. "Well, I... A little..."

"Aha! You heard her!" the smaller bandit interrupted. Florina yelped and ran behind Lyn. "She admits her fault! She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!"

Lyn looked at Florina. "Did you apologize, Florina?"

Florina nodded. "Yes! I told them I was sorry many times over. They just wouldn't listen..." The girl looked like tears were welling up again.

Great. Now I think _I_ was having a heart attack.

Lyn smiled and put her arm on Florina's shoulder. "Don't cry. It's all right."

"Lyn..." Florina whispered.

Lyn looked at the bandits. "Listen, she's obviously sorry. Can't we just let this pass? You don't appear to be injured or anything."

"No chance," said the larger bandit, a man in a purple tunic wearing a red headband. "The girl goes with us-- by force if need be!" The two brigands ran a ways from us. Why would they run after they said they'd use force? Crap, does this mean...? "Hey! C'mon out now, boys! The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!"

I hate it when I'm right...

As soon as those words were shouted, several more bandits appeared from the ruined houses in the village.

"Oh, this is just typical," I sighed. Time to put my tactician face on.

"Sean! We've got to fight back!" shouted Lyn, drawing the Mani Katti.

"Lyn! I!" Florina looked like she was about to say something, but Lyn interrupted.

"You're a pegasus knight, aren't you?" she asked, looking at her. "You can fight, can't you?"

"...Yes!" replied Florina, running over to her pegasus and mounting it.

Lyn turned to look at me. "Listen carefully, Sean. We're facing bandits. They're underlings, but we can't take them too lightly. Let's clear them out of here. Are you ready?"

"Of course," I replied.

"The layout around here might make it difficult to fight," noted Lyn. "The same holds true for our foe, too. If we use these walls just so, they may ensure our victory."

"Hey, who's the tactician here?" I asked.

"I-I'm sorry," Lyn looked shocked. "Sean, you should lead. Forgive me."

"No, no, it's not like that," I replied. Apparently I sounded a bit more forceful than I meant to. "You're right about the layout and the walls. And don't worry, I won't underestimate these guys."

"Lyn, who's that?" Florina asked, now fully mounted on her pegasus.

"This is Sean," Lyn replied. "He's still an apprentice, but he's my tactician."

"Oh I see..." Florina replied quietly. "Uh... Sean? I'm very pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," I replied. "Okay, let's get this battle started. Florina, can you fly a bit higher and give me a head count of how many we're up against? Don't go too far in any other direction, just up."

Florina nodded, and did as she was told. She came back down after a few moments.

"Um... There are about nine," she told me, and her face turned to a frightened one. "And some of them are archers..."

"Archers, huh?" I asked. "Haven't come across any of those yet. I suppose it's about time."

"Sean, how could you say that?" Lyn demanded. "Florina is a pegasus knight! Archers are her worst enemy!"

"Right, I knew that..." I replied, trying to save some face. I think I failed, but Lyn didn't see that. She probably just thinks I'm a jerk now.

Well, crap...

Thinking about it, I realized that it was logical. Given the size of a pegasus, I'd assume that it would be very difficult for an arrow to miss, and judging by the light armor Florina was wearing, pegasi can't carry very much weight, meaning that an armored pegasus isn't very practical. Little armor means lots of wounds, and a wounded flier means lots of crashing.

"Well, what should we do, Sean?" asked Lyn. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah, of course," I answered. Well, not too smart of me. I had no idea what to do. I looked around us, and saw a bunch of houses enclosed by a gate, like a small village. It seemed like the people hid there to escape the bandit raid. "Lyn, go visit that village," I told her.

Lyn looked and nodded. "I see," she smiled. "You want some more help, right?"

"Yeah, let's go with that..." I replied with a nervous chuckle. "Florina, do you remember where the archers are?"

"Um... there's one behind that wall over there," Florina said. I turned to Sain and Kent.

"You heard the lady, knights of Lycia," I told them.

"For the lovely Florina!" shouted Sain, charging toward the wall. Kent just shook his head and followed.

"Florina, stay back until all archers are cleared, alright?" I told her. The girl nodded, though she still had an air of shyness around me.

No, stupid heart attack! Wait, until this is over!

I turned and noticed a swordsman trying to sneak up on us. I turned to Florina.

"Okay, Florina, let's see what a pegasus knight can do," I told her, pointing to the man. "Go get him."

Florina took her small lance and nodded. "I-I'll try my best," she said in a small voice. God, stop being so damn cute already! Florina flew over to the man and attacked, stabbing him with her weapon. The man seemed injured, but readied his sword to swing at Florina.

"Shit, with her armor, that'll go right through," I whispered to myself. "Florina! Get back!"

"Eek!" Florina screamed and the man gave a smile and began to attack our newest member.

Well, second newest, as it turned out. An arrow flew over and caught the man in the neck. He fell over, dead. I looked to see that the source of the arrow was a brown haired young man who looked about my age. And with him was Lyn, with Mani Katti in hand.

"That was close..." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Florina, you alright?"

"I-I think so..." the lavender haired girl answered. She looked toward Lyn and saw who she was with. "Ah! Lyn, what should I do? There's an archer!!!" Apparently she didn't realize this was the guy who saved her.

"What? Where?!" asked Lyn, until she realized who she was talking about. "Oh, that's Wil." Oh yeah, should probably have asked his name.

"Hi!" the young man answered. "You're one of Lyn's friends?"

"Um..." Florina looked at him shyly and had her pegasus step back a bit.

"What? What is it?" asked Wil, looking a little concerned. "Are you unwell?"

Lyn looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Wil. This is Florina. She's timid around men and you... you've got a bow."

"Oh, I see!" chuckled Wil. "You're a pegasus knight! I apologize for frightening you, but I do understand your fear of bows."

"I... um... I'm sorry..." Florina apologized. "Even looking..." she glanced at his weapon and stepped back even more. "...at a... bow... frightens me ever so much..."

Wil gave her a knowing smile. "Of course, I understand," he answered. "But you should only fear your enemy's archers. Not your own."

"Yes... of course..." Florina answered, blushing.

"Well, as long as we're getting to know each other," I interrupted, walking in. "Wil? I'm Sean. Thank you for fighting with us."

"It's no problem," smiled Wil. "These villagers have been kind to me. I'm a traveler like you, you see. You must be the tactician Lyn was talking about."

"Yeah..." I trailed off. There was something I was forgetting...

"Back, you fiends! Back!" I turned to see Sain coming from behind the wall swinging his sword wildly trying to drive off three bandits. Oh right, forgot about him. Probably shouldn't do that in the future.

"Lyn, Wil, see if you can help him out," I said. Both of them immediately ran to Sain's aid.

"Now, what happened to Kent?" I wondered, but the question was answered when Kent came riding back, taking out one of the attacking swordsmen with his lance.

"We've taken care of the archers," he told me. "But there are still more bandits."

"No archers, huh?" I smiled. "Florina, time to show us what you can do. Help Lyn and Wil." The girl nodded and had her pegasus fly over, and, with a thrust of her lance, knocked the attacking swordsman down, allowing Lyn to finish him. Wil stepped back a bit and fired an arrow at the last one, hitting him right between the eyes.

"Bulls-eye," I smiled, running over to them. "Good job guys. Sain, how many did you take down?"

"Kent and I just took care of the archers, so that the lovely Florina may be safe from harm," he replied. Florina blushed and looked away at that statement. "However, there are still four more bandits."

"Without archers, Florina doesn't need to worry too much about being attacked," I said. "Florina, there's one more village behind the one Lyn visited. Fly to it and see if you can gather anyone else to fight."

"Y-Yes," she answered, flying off. I looked at everyone else.

"Lyn, if there are any axemen, go take care of them," I told her. "Sain, Kent, the swordsmen are yours. Wil, go help out Lyn. That seems to be the most efficient way for us to finish this battle."

"Consider it done," said Kent, who nodded to Sain. The two knights rode toward the ruined village. I followed Lyn, and made sure Wil was close behind. Lyn quickly took out the closest axe wielder before Wil had a chance to string an arrow.

"How many more do you think there are, Sean?" Lyn asked me.

"There's one more," I said to her. "The guy in the purple who called everyone out. He definitely had an axe."

"And he's here," a voice growled and attacked Wil. The poor guy didn't have a chance to get his bow when the axe hit him in the shoulder.

"Gah!" he winced, holding his bleeding shoulder.

"Hehe, now time to take the ladies," he chuckled, picking up his large axe...

"Hey, listen!" Lyn told him, pointing her sword at him. "There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Begging for your life so soon, wench?" laughed the purple man.

"Are you... Taliver bandits?" asked Lyn. I somehow realized that this was coming. If they were Taliver, there was no way in hell that Lyn would forgive them, and she would show no restraint on killing them as brutally as possible. And I did not want to see Lyn like that. Not the Lyn that had saved me. Not the Lyn that had so much pride. As understandable as her hatred for the Taliver is, I didn't want to see her become as monstrous as they seemed to be.

Thankfully, the bandit's answer was clear.

"Taliver? Those greedy monsters?!" he sneered. "We're nothing like them! Those fiends will even kill women and children! We're from Ganelon, and we know a little something of honor. We don't harm women, for one thing." He took a good look at Lyn and smirked. "Why kill what you can sell?"

Lyn glared at him, lowering her sword. "If you're not Taliver, then there is no reason for you to die here. If you wish to tuck your tail and flee, do so now."

The man glared at her angrily. "You... You... No more courtesies! You're going to learn to watch your tongue!"

"Lyn!" I shouted, as the man prepared to charge at her.

"Stop, please!" a familiar voice sounded from above. We all looked up to see Florina fly down on her pegasus. The girl turned to the bandit and spoke.

"Um... Excuse me..." she said in a meek voice.

"Huh? It's you!" the bandit smirked. "So, you changed your mind about coming with us, eh?"

"Well... no..." Florina answered. "But... this really is... my fault... Really... So, can we..." She paused for a few seconds, as if to find the right words.

The bandit looked angry. "What?! C'mon, lass, out with it!"

"I'm sorry," Florina said quietly. "Can we... Can we just stop fighting now?"

The bandit took a second, and then laughed. "You've got to be kidding," he said. "After I've been made to look like a fool? No way!" He took his axe and swung it at Florina, knocking her off of her pegasus.

"Eeek!" shrieked Florina, falling to the ground.

"Florina!" Lyn shouted.

The bandit pointed his axe at the young pegasus knight. "You're coming with us! I promise you that!! Now, if you don't want to get hurt, give yourself up!"

"Leave her alone!" I shouted, running toward the scene. The bandit gave me an angry glare, stopping me in my tracks.

"Draw your swords!" he shouted. "We're not listening to your apologies anymore!"

"Of that, I am certain," said Lyn, running in and swinging her katana, making two large gashes across his chest. The bandit looked in pain, but other than that, he didn't seem too fazed by the attack.

"Hehe, you wench, you just made a big mistake," he jeered. "I normally don't hurt women, but you are just askin' for trouble." He picked up his axe. "DIE!" The next thing we knew, a lance tip pierced through his stomach. Florina, now sitting on the ground, had stabbed him in the back, and it went all the way through to the front. The blood spray was rather large.

"I... I..." whispered Florina. She had a frightened look on her face, as if she was shocked at what she had just done.

"Ugh..." the bandit murmured, coughing up blood. "You'll live to regret this..." He looked at all of us. "My brothers... the Ganelon bandits will not let this stand..." And with that, he fell forward and died, Florina's lance still stuck in his back.

"Florina... wow..." I began. Admittedly, that was pretty unexpected.

"That's taken care of," smiled Lyn, sheathing the Mani Katti. "Good work, Florina...?" She trailed off when she saw her best friend on her knees, staring at her lance.

"I... Lyn... I killed..." she whispered, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I killed him..." There was no stopping it now. The shy lavender haired girl began sobbing. Lyn ran over to her friend and held her close, and I ran over to see if she was okay.

"Florina..." whispered Lyn, cradling her crying friend. "Why did you follow me? It's so dangerous."

Florina looked at her. "Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knight of Ilia?" she asked.

Lyn nodded. "Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training. Is that what brought you here, Florina?"

"Uh-huh," Florina answered, wiping away some tears. "I wanted to talk to you before I set out. But when I went to Sacae, I heard that you had left with some strangers, and..."

"You were worried for me?" Lyn finished after a long pause. She smiled. "Thank you, but I'm more worried about you."

Florina looked slightly shocked. "Me?"

"Listen, most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of men?" Lyn asked. "I can't imagine you being at all comfortable around them."

"I know, I know. It's just..." Florina sniffed. "I've always dreamt of being a pegasus knight. I imagined I would just... work it out. Somehow. After today, I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just... give up."

"Florina, don't cry," whispered Lyn.

"Come on, Florina," I knelt down by her. "You did great today. Your first battle, and you dealt the finishing blow. Be proud of yourself."

"Yes! There's no reason to give up your dream!" said Sain from behind us.

"Hm?" Lyn turned to see Kent and Sain behind us, dismounting their horses.

"Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea!" exclaimed Sain.

"Sain!" Kent tried to interject, but to no avail.

"You should come with us!" suggested the green knight. "With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers, and freelance to boot!"

Wil got up, looking shocked. "Wait, did you just include me?"

"Of course! We were destined to meet here! It's fate!" said Sain, rather loudly. "Come now, Lyndis's band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!"

Kent lowered his head and covered his eyes, as if in shame. "Sain... This is no joking matter!"

"Lyndis?" asked Florina, looking at me. I pointed to Lyn. Florina blinked a few times. "Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?"

Lyn sighed. "I can give you details later. This is all a bit rushed." She smiled though. "However, Sain is right. Will you come with us, Florina?"

Florina smiled brightly, wiping away her tears. "Travel with you, Lyn? Truly? I would be so... so happy!"

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Sain, jumping in between Lyn and Florina. "Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin. My name is Sain..."

Florina looked scared and stepped away. "Eeek! Stay back! Don't get so close."

"Little bit forward, aren't we, Sain?" I asked, though I was admittedly laughing.

Sain chuckled. "Ah... Beautiful, and yet so modest!"

Kent pushed Sain back. "I beg your forgiveness. Calling us mercenaries..."

Lyn smiled and shook her head. "No, I approve. We can't leave Florina on her own. She requires special attention, though. Can I count on you?"

Kent smiled. "Yes! You have but to ask."

"But, what about me?" asked Sain. Kent gave him a look that said 'You should already know why.' Sain seemed to comprehend.

"So... Is it really all right if I travel with you?" asked Wil.

"Oh, yes. Of course!" answered Lyn. "If you're willing, Wil."

"Actually, I'm very grateful," chuckled the archer, still clutching his shoulder. "Truth be told, all of my money was stolen, and I'm... at a bit of a crossroads. I would be honored to count myself one of Lyndis's Legion!"

"'Lyndis's Legion'?" laughed Lyn, turning to me. "This is getting stranger with every day, Sean."

"Indeed," I laughed. Our little band of mercenaries was growing, and they were fast becoming my new family in Elibe. Never a dull moment, I can assure you.

* * *

"To Lyndis's Legion! They have cleared our village of Migal and his Ganelon hoardes!" cheered the mayor of the small town, a portly man with a mustache, raising a mug of ale to us.

"I guess the name stuck," I said to Lyn, and she nodded, taking a sip of her drink. We were sitting in a tavern with a bunch of the surviving townsfolk. They decided to throw a celebration for us for ridding them of the Ganelon bandits. We used a bit of the money that Florina got from the small village before she came back to help against purple man, whose name was apparently Migal.

"The Ganelon bandits are not ones to back down," said Wil. "I suggest we leave as soon as possible, to avoid their return to this poor town."

"That sounds like a good idea," I replied. My thoughts were that the closer we get to Lycia, the farther we are from Taliver. And that was a very comforting thought, considering even those Ganelon punks called the Taliver monsters. I was kind of sick of bandit raids now.

"Oh my heavens, there were so many!" laughed Sain, over at a table with many girls listening intently. "I was hardly able to move my horse without running over a bandit!"

"You're sooo brave..." sighed one of the girls.

"You're sooo lame..." I muttered. Seriously, a guy like that has girls falling all over him, with the exception of our own girls, Lyn and Florina. You have no idea how thankful I was of that.

"Ignore him," sighed Kent, taking a sip of ale. "He does this in every tavern we go to."

"I almost wish I had his skills," I chuckled. Wrong thing to say, since Lyn got up and took Florina, right after those words came out of my mouth.

"We're going out for a breath of fresh air," she said.

"But Lyn-" Florina began, but was pulled out of the tavern by the arm.

"I'm not sure, Kent, but I think I've lost my talking priveleges," I said to Kent.

"You are our strategist, Sean," said Kent. "It is your duty to talk to us."

"No, I mean- never mind..." I sighed. What use is it to make a joke if no one understands? I got up from my seat and followed Lyn and Florina outside to try to apologize. What happened next was, well, not what I expected...

And no, it wasn't a lesbian scene.

"I can't believe he'd think that!" Lyn sighed, exasperated. They were sitting on the wall outside the village, and I was behind a house, listening. Or eavesdropping, if you really must know. "To think he'd want to be a womanizer like Sain!"

"Lyn, I don't think he was serious," said Florina. "He seems so nice..."

"He's... yes, he is..." said Lyn. "He's possibly one of the nicest people I've ever met."

Okay, I admit, I felt really, really bad for eavesdropping at that point. But after hearing this, I couldn't help it. I wanted to hear more.

"What do you think of Sean, Florina?" Lyn asked her.

"He's kind," she replied. "He did send me to fight a swordsman, but that's because I wanted to fight. Yet, he wanted me to pull back as soon as I was in danger."

"He's like that," sighed Lyn, reaching into the top of her dress and pulling out her locket.

Florina looked at her sadly. "Lyn... He reminds you of Kal, doesn't he?"

Kal? I wondered. Who the hell is Kal?

"Yes..." said Lyn, staring at the locket. "Do you remember him, Florina?"

"Of course! We all used to play together all the time," Florina replied. "I still remember that day your father arranged for you two to be betrothed. I was so happy for you!"

I'm pretty sure I gasped about here. Not completely sure, because they didn't notice me at all.

"Yes," sighed Lyn. "We were to be wed on my 18th birthday, but, just a few days before..." she gripped the locket tightly in her hand, and closed her eyes, trying to force her tears back. "Those Taliver... I can't believe they.. they..."

I had heard enough. I decided to go back to the tavern, leaving Lyn and Florina to their conversation. "Lyn..." I whispered. I sighed, and laughed a bit to myself. "Guess I didn't actually have a chance with you, did I?" I'm not sure, but I think I cried. It hurt more than any of the rejections I had before. Here I am, a guy who has never had a girlfriend, and a girl seems genuinely interested in me, but it turns out, it's because I remind her of her dead fiance.

I guess she was serious when she said she was just teasing. And about me being a friend.

Life really bites...

* * *

_End Chapter_

_Hey, I said I'd add my own stuff, so I did. This is a good example. I'm still trying to follow the FE7 storyline, but I'm taking a couple of liberties here and there. It occured to me that Lyn must've had some sort of relationship in the past. I thought I'd throw something in like this. Plus, it kinda sorta explains why Lyn was so open to Sean in the beginning._

_I don't plan on making any big storyline changes, but I do plan on adding stuff, including original characters, dialogue, and subplots. But the main story will remain as it is. This is my challenge as a fanfiction writer._

_Review!_


	5. Chapter 4: In Occupation's Shadow

_A/N: 113 visitors on that last chapter... And 7 reviews. That's about 6%. I'm a bit disappointed about that. I know I shouldn't judge how good my story is from how many reviews I get, but it's kind of disappointing after racking up 10 reviews on the first chapters within 4 days. Well, I guess I really shouldn't complain, because as far as I can tell, this story's pretty successful, and you guys seem to be enjoying it. That's what matters._

_Anyway, next chapter is up! Enjoy!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 4: In Occupation's Shadow

I could easily make a long list of things that I really, really hated about being a modern day teenager who was suddenly transported into a medieval world. The one on my mind during this particular day was the shortage of paved roads. I already mentioned my lack of athletic ability, but traveling with a band of mercenaries, who were fit and battle-ready, made me try to hide it. The fact that we were traversing mountains, and that I'm always on dirt, doesn't help me keep my energy.

If I had known I'd be coming here some time beforehand, I would've gone to the gym a bit more and gotten into shape. Of course, if someone told me about this, I probably wouldn't have believed them. Basically, I was pretty much always tired.

"We should find a place to sleep for tonight," suggested Lyn. "Sean doesn't look like he can proceed without some rest."

I shot her a look. "Don't let me slow you down," I told her. "If you guys want to leave me behind, that's fine."

Lyn looked shocked at what I said. Hell, _I_ was shocked at what I said. "Sean... Are you alright?" asked Lyn.

"Yeah, yeah..." I sighed. "I'll be fine. I don't know how long I can keep going without some sleep though."

"There's an old fortress at the side of this road," said Kent. "It would be wise for us to rest for a night and set off again at sunrise."

"From here, I believe we're only about two days away from the Lycian border," said Wil, looking at a map. "I think then that Caelin will be another two weeks, so we'll reach there fairly soon."

"That's good news!" exclaimed Florina. "Lyn will see her grandfather soon!"

It was good news. So far, my strategies hadn't been flawless. Our members had gotten hurt a few times, and I was nearly killed when we went to get the Mani Katti. To think that we were closer and closer to our destination was a good feeling, because soon, I wouldn't need to come up with any more battle tactics involving my new friends. I wouldn't need to risk anyone's lives for a while.

And there was that small chance that I could find my way home.

After listening to Lyn and Florina after the Ganelon bandit incident, I felt hurt that Lyn only seemed to care because I reminded her of her dead fiance, Kal. It took about a day to get over that fact, and I realized that it was okay. Lyn was my friend, and I made a promise to her that we would stick together. It didn't matter how she felt about me.

Somehow, thinking about it wasn't making things better.

"Ah, this should suffice!" said Wil, as we went inside the fortress. He jumped into a pile of hay and lay down. "Tonight's bed!"

"In this mildewy old fortress? Is this the best we can do?" asked Sain. "Come Wil! Surely you jest!"

I agreed with Sain on this one. The place was hardly a fortress. The walls were crumbling and there were vines covering them everywhere. To top it off, the place reeked. It was right off the road, so my guess was that it was basically a pit stop for travelers to relieve themselves. For many years. The thought of that made me want to run outside to find a nice thicket to puke into.

Not that I wanted to mention it to Wil, who was sitting in what was potentially the equivalent of toilet paper.

"The bandits keep everything in turmoil around here," Wil explained. "No one has time to worry about travelers. And there are rather a lot of us."

"This will be fine," said Lyn, coming into the fortress. "Who wants to be stuck inside, anyway? I prefer a place where I can feel the wind blow."

"As long as I'm at Lyn's side, I'll be fine," said Florina.

"I guess I can manage to sleep in here," I said, plugging my nose.

"And for your protection, your man-at-arms Sain will be right here by your side, ladies!" said Sain, with a proud expression on his face.

"Sain, both you and I are to remain awake. We will alternate the watch," said Kent. Lyn and Florina both breathed a sigh of relief from Kent's intervention.

"Ah, alas..." sighed Sain, disappointed.

I stifled a laugh at the scene. Poor guy never gets a break with our two lovely ladies. Not that he seemed to mind the rejection too much, with so many women from that previous village swooning over their "brave knight".

We walked into the inner part of the fortress, which thankfully did not smell like a septic tank. Well, it wasn't as noticable. My guess was that the pit stop theory was right, but no one came this far into the fortress to relieve themselves. Thank goodness.

"Your pardon, milady..." a voice came from inside the room.

"Who's there?" asked Lyn.

"I... Forgive my intrusion..." the source of the voice revealed itself to be a young, brown haired woman. "My name's Natalie. I'm from a village not far from here... Ah! Ow..." She fell over clutching her leg.

"Are you all right?" asked Lyn, trying to help her up. "Hm? Your leg..."

I knelt by her to take a look as well. "It's discolored," I realized. "Did something happen?"

Natalie shook her head. "It's fine. Don't worry. It's from a childhood sickness... I can't travel far on it, but it doesn't trouble me much."

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" asked Lyn.

Natalie had a sad expression on her face as she answered. "I'm looking for my husband... I heard he was in this area. He said he was going to raise money to have my leg mended. He left the village and hasn't returned. He's a kindhearted man, but I think he might be involved in something dangerous. I got so worried..." She pulled out a piece of parchment with a drawing of a large man with a cleft chin and a hint of a beard. "Here's a sketch of him. It's a poor likeness at best, but... His name is Dorcas. Do you know of him?"

Lyn and I looked at each other, as if we needed to confirm that we never met the guy. "I'm sorry. I don't believe I've seen or heard of him," said Lyn.

"I see..." sighed Natalie. "If you do meet him, please give him a message. Tell him that Natalie is looking for him."

Lyn smiled and took Natalie's hands into her own. "I will tell him. I promise."

* * *

The sun was low in the sky as we settled into an uneasy sleep. Lyn and Florina were both next to me, Lyn clutching the Mani Katti tightly in her fist, and Florina being covered by her pegasus's wing. Will was on the other side of the room, having fallen asleep. I could hear the crackle of the fire that Kent and Sain were sitting at, keeping watch over the area for bandit attacks. As for me, I was really cold because I offered Natalie my green cloak to wrap around herself, and I was regretting it.

"Crap..." I muttered.

"If you don't sleep, Sean, you won't be in good form tomorrow," I heard Lyn say. I looked over at her, and her eyes were open, looking at me.

"Evidently, you weren't asleep either," I replied. Lyn smiled and got up, sitting down closer to me. If the setting sun hadn't been camouflaging it, I think she would've known what color my face was at that time.

"Sean... You've been acting strangely as of late," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, why would you think that?" I replied. I already knew the answer. I had been colder since that night, and it wasn't a complete surprise that Lyn had managed to pick up the subtle changes in mannerisms.

"You've become more distant," sighed Lyn. "I know that the road has been rough, and we've been attacked by bandits many times, but... Somehow I feel that it doesn't have anything to do with exhaustion."

"You're very perceptive," I said quietly.

"I thought about it for the longest time, and I realized that I don't know very much about you," said Lyn. "I only know that you have a brilliant mind and that I found you dehydrated in the middle of the plains. Do you know how that happened?"

"There was... well..." I began, trying to think of an easy way to say that I wasn't from this world and came here against my will.

"Sean, you can tell me anything," said Lyn, putting her hand on my shoulder as a comforting gesture. I turned to face her, and realized that her face was mere inches from mine. If she couldn't make out the color of my face now, she could probably at least feel the heat. I think she did, because she pulled back. I'm not sure, but I think she was blushing as well.

"I-I'm sorry, Sean," she said, not letting her eyes meet mine. "If y-you're uncomfortable, then I won't ask anymore. I just hope you will tell me one day..."

"Y-Yeah, of course," I replied. I was still baffled. I thought I came to terms with this. Didn't she not like me in that way? Then why do I still feel like this every time she's near me?

Stupid infatuation.

It was an awkward moment, but the silence was broken by the sound of Kent's voice.

"Lady Lyndis!" he shouted, running into the room. "Outside the fortress! Bandits!"

"What did you say?" asked Lyn, her expression changing to a serious one.

Sain ran in afterward. "Persistent bunch, aren't they?" he muttered. "What do you think? Shall we go out and face them?"

Lyn thought for a second, and then realized something. "No... Natalie cannot move well, and that would put her in danger. Let them come to us. We'll fight here, within these walls." She turned to me. "Sean, take over. The command is yours. All we have to do is hold out until they tire and leave."

"Oh..." Natalie groaned in pain, clutching her leg.

Lyn ran over to her, tucking the green cloak around her better. "Rest easy, Natalie. No one will harm you! Listen, everyone! Fight with caution!"

"Here we go again," I muttered. "Stupid bandits..."

* * *

"Everyone, guard the entrance," I commanded. "That's the biggest one, and the one where the most can get through."

"As you command," said Kent, riding toward the entrance, with Sain, Wil and Florina following.

Lyn ran in afterward. "Sean! This fortress has two entrances. That's where we must meet the enemy! I'll take the eastern door. Sean, you and the others guard the main entrance."

"I already sent the others to the main entrance," I told her. "Okay, I'll go with you to the eastern door. We'll face these guys." To that, Lyn nodded and ran toward the side entrance, where we were greeted by a large man with an axe. He threw the axe at us, and Lyn jumped on me, pushing me out of the way as the axe embedded itself into the wall.

"That was close..." I whispered. Lyn was looking at the attacker with a contemplative expression.

"Sean!" she exclaimed in realization. "The fighter who just attacked. Doesn't he somewhat look like the picture of Natalie's husband?"

I took a better look at him. Large man, cleft chin, slight signs of a beard. Yeah, that might be him, but I still wasn't sure.

"You! Are you Dorcas?" asked Lyn as the man readied another axe. He stopped and stared at Lyn.

"How do you know my name?" he asked. Of course there was a chance that it was coincidental that the guy attacking us was not Natalie's husband and just happened to have that same name. That chance was ridiculously small though, and so now I was completely sure that this Dorcas was the same Dorcas.

"Natalie told me," said Lyn, getting up. "What are you doing with these rogues?"

"I need money," Dorcas replied simply.

"That may be, but... joining up with mercenaries?" asked Lyn. I guess we were ones to talk.

Dorcas looked at us with a sad expression. "It's the only way to earn gold in these parts. I'll do anything... even this."

"For gold? Anything?" asked Lyn, her tone raising. "Would you hurt your wife? Natalie is here! We're protecting her within this fortress!!"

Dorcas looked shocked. "What!? Natalie's... She's here?"

"She was so worried that she came looking for you," said Lyn. "Think, Dorcas! Would your actions please your wife?"

Dorcas nearly dropped his axe, his face showing all of the shame he had. I think I saw a teardrop flowing down his cheek. "You're right," he whispered.

"Well?" asked Lyn.

Dorcas's grip on his axe tightened, and he wiped away his tear. "I understand. I can't do this. I'm done with these bandits. Here and now."

Lyn smiled. "Really?"

"Yes..." replied Dorcas. "And I would repay you for your kindness toward Natalie. Allow me to fight for you."

Well, this was too good to turn down.

* * *

"RAAAH!" cried one of the brigands, driving his axe through the weakened western wall. The wall crumbled into a cloud of dust, and the bandit made his way into the fortress. "Haha, now to kill those men, and take those women for our own!" he laughed.

"Really, announcing your plans like that is so not practical," I smiled as the dust cleared. The first thing that bandit saw afterward was me, with a triumphant smirk. The next thing he saw was Lyn, pointing her sword in his face. That last thing he saw, was Lyn driving that sword straight for his...

...Ouch.

"Lyn, you didn't need to be so brutal..." I said, looking at where she stabbed him. "Well, I don't think he was going to have kids anytime soon, anyway."

"B-Bitch..." he muttered in a squeaky voice. Lyn made a thrust toward his chest, impaling him.

"I'm glad Dorcas told us about this weak wall, allowing us to predict their strategy," said Lyn. "Hopefully Natalie's doing well."

"We'll be fine," I replied. "She's with Florina. Dorcas is guarding the eastern entrance, Sain, Wil, and Kent are taking care of the main entrance. As of yet, no one has breached the inner fortress where Natalie is." I looked toward the sunset. "Dorcas said that the leader of these bandits wanted us finished by sundown. It seems we only have to hold them off for a little while longer."

I then heard a shout from who was presumably the leader of the enemy group. "Urgh! How? Why are they so tough?! Bring more men up here, now!"

"Sain and Kent are probably exhausted by now," I realized. "Lyn, we have to go after the leader before he calls in even more reinforcements."

"It's too late," said Lyn, realizing that the main entrance was crowded with bandits. "We'll have to fight our way through them."

"Oh, brilliant..." I muttered. "And all I wanted was a good night's sleep..."

"Sean, we must reach the leader," said Lyn. "Can you think of the best way to do it?"

"The leader is south of the main entrance, right?" I asked. "That means that the safest way to get to this leader is through the fortress itself, since we're surrounded and they will notice us if we're outside."

"So, now what, Sean?" asked Lyn.

"We're going to see their leader," I replied, running toward the main entrance. When I got there, well...

"We're being pushed back!" shouted Kent, hacking at a brigand with his sword. "There are too many!"

"Keep them away from the inner chamber!" I shouted. "Protect Natalie!"

Dorcas ran in to help us once he heard the name of his wife. "Sean, we can't hold these men off for long."

"I know," I sighed. I then thought of something, turning to Dorcas. "Have you been attacked yet?"

"No," he replied. "I was the only one at the east entrance."

"Sean, are you planning something?" asked Lyn, who ran up behind me.

I nodded, smiling. The gears in my head were turning again.

* * *

"Y-You've brought the girl!" exclaimed the lead bandit. Hearing this, Kent and Sain stopped fighting, and were knocked over by some of the brigand's axes.

"Bastard!" I shouted at Dorcas, but was held back by another bandit who had an axe at my throat. "You betrayed us!"

"You can shut up now, kid," the bandit sneered. "You should know better than to trust your enemy. Your little girlfriend is ours now!" I glared at him angrily, to which he smiled. "But don't worry. We'll keep you alive long enough to watch your precious Sacaen girl become ours forever!"

"It is nearly dark," replied Dorcas, laying the unconscious Lyn in front of the leader. "This is the one who killed Migal. We have our revenge. Let us leave the rest alone."

"Migal?" I asked. "You guys... you're part of the Ganelon bandits!"

"L-Lady Lyndis..." muttered Kent, trying to get up, but had the wind knocked out of him by the brigand.

"We've... failed..." said Sain quietly. Wil dropped his bow and fell on his knees. Florina, coming out from the inner chamber, had a shocked look on her face, and tears began to form.

"N-No!" she shouted. "I-I'm the one who killed that man!"

"Shameful, Migal being killed by a woman," chuckled the leader. "Grab that girl and her pegasus! We have our fill for tonight!" At this command, one of the brigands grabbed Florina, carrying her outside. The poor girl was struggling so hard, but the bandit was too strong and her lance was unusable at such a close range.

"Such a beauty," chuckled the bandit holding onto Florina, sniffing her neck, an action which Florina obviously despised. "It would be such a waste to not have some fun with her before selling..." The bandits all chuckled and Florina had an incredibly frightened look on her face, looking at me for support. I mouthed a 'Sorry' in her direction.

"I'll take the Sacaen girl," said another one. "I'll bet she's fresh..."

"You sick bastards!" I shouted at them. The bandit holding onto me pressed his blade closer to my throat.

"Dorcas, you've done well!" the leader commended him. "Oh, there seems to be another woman inside. Bring her out!"

"Natalie..." I whispered. "Damn it!"

"This one can't move good," said the brigand who brought her outside, pushing the brown haired woman down. "Seems she's got a bad leg."

"Bah, she doesn't need to move," said the leader. "Alright, boys, kill those men, and we'll have our fun with the women tonight!"

Dorcas looked toward Natalie with a sad expression on his face. "Natalie, I'm sorry you have to see this," I heard him whisper. He turned and faced me, readying his axe. I closed my eyes, bracing for the full swing.

SLICE! Off went the bandit's head. Yeah, there was a headless guy holding onto me. That wasn't disturbing at all.

"Ew...," I muttered, pushing the headless guy away and giving our new ally a thumbs up. "Lyn! Now!"

The 'unconscious' Lyn took my cue and got up, and in one quick movement, unsheathed her Mani Katti and cut the lead bandit across the chest.

"GAAH!" he screamed in pain. "You lying wen-" He was stopped by Dorcas's hand axe, which cut his shoulder. "Dorcas! You traitor!"

Florina used the distraction to stomp on the bandit's foot with the heel of her boot. The guy cried in pain, letting go of Florina long enough for her to escape. Lyn jumped in and thrust her sword through the bandit's gut. I ran over to Florina and helped her up.

"Sorry about that," I whispered. "If you want to slap me for this, I understand." The poor girl had tears in her eyes, but a small smile on her face knowing that everything was under control. I looked toward Sain, Kent, and Wil.

"Alright guys! Push them back!" I shouted. The two knights looked at me and smiled, their fighting spirit renewed. They picked their swords up and began cutting down the attacking bandits. Wil also picked his bow up and began firing. I looked over toward Natalie, who watched Dorcas with tears of joy.

One of the bandits took the time for me to shout the command to run over to Natalie, who was on the ground. "At least we won't go back empty-handed..."

"No..." whispered Natalie, as the bandit grabbed her arm. Suddenly, Dorcas's hand axe flew in and caught the bandit in the back. The man fell over, dead.

"Don't touch my wife!" he shouted.

"Dorcas, watch out!" I shouted at him, but was too late. The leader had made a huge cut across his back with his axe. Dorcas screamed in pain.

"Your wife?" chuckled the leader. "No matter. Traitors should die!", readying his axe for another swing. Natalie watched the scene, frightened.

As if on cue, Lyn jumped in, with Mani Katti in hand, and disappeared for a split second. She reappeared right in front of the leader, and with a powerful thrust, impaled him in the chest.

"Arrgh... this isn't... Not me..." he sputtered with his dying breath.

"Th-They got Carjiga!" shouted one of the bandits. "Curses! They aren't human! Listen up, rogues! Retreat! Pull back!" All of the bandits stopped fighting and scattered away from the entrance. Within a minute, there were none left.

"W-We did it," I said. Lyn ran over to me and hugged me. And here comes the tomato face again.

"Your plan worked!" she exclaimed. "The bandits have fled! Sean! We've won!!!"

"Y-Yeah..." I replied. Damn it, why is it still like this?!

* * *

A little while after the battle, all of us were standing inside the fortress discussing what had happened. Well, in my case, standing was a relative term...

"So, you cunning little trickster, you managed to deceive all of us into thinking that they won!" said Sain, who had me in a half-nelson. "And you frightened our meek Florina ever so much!"

"I can't say I approve of this method, Sean," said Kent. "You resorted to deceiving your own comrades in order to win."

"I-I'm sorry!" I gasped. "I really would have told you! There were too many bandits near you, I didn't get a chance!"

"S-Sean?" said Florina. "P-Please don't make me go through that again..."

"I-I won't," I replied through Sain's half-nelson. "I promise. I'd never use my friends like that."

"That aside, I'm impressed," said Wil. "Using Dorcas to get close to the leader was a stroke of genius. With all the bandits at the entrances, there was no way that we could have gotten through to him."

"It was lucky that Dorcas hadn't been attacked," I said, once Sain finally released me. "That meant that they didn't know that he was on our side yet. It was a perfect opportunity."

"Sean!" Lyn called, coming from inside. "Did you tell Dorcas that he should come with us?"

"Yes," I replied. "He seemed willing, and an axe-fighter would be useful. We have enough lances and swords right now."

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Sain. "He will be a fine addition to Lyndis's Legion!"

"I managed to bandage Dorcas's wounds and he is now taking Natalie home," said Lyn. "So, we'll need to spend the night here and wait for him to come back."

"Finally, sleep," I yawned, walking into the fortress. At this point, I didn't mind the smell at all.

* * *

I hated myself. I was dead tired, and my eyes were heavy, and I didn't have any caffeine since I arrived in Elibe. Why the hell was it so hard for me to go to sleep?!

I got up to walk around a little, hoping that I'd pass out at some point.

"Things have finally calmed down a little," I heard Lyn say. I turned the corner and saw her talking with Sain and Kent.

"We'll continue taking turns keeping watch," said Kent. "Please rest easily."

"Is that alright? Are you sure?" asked Lyn. Kent nodded. She turned to Sain. "Sain?"

"Oh! Er, yes! Of course!" he yawned. That poor guy was obviously tired as well.

Lyn looked at the two of them with a serious expression. "Let me warn you... If bandits sneak up on you, they'll cut you down without mercy. Do you understand that?"

"What, do you doubt my bravery? Am I not a knight?" chuckled Sain. "There's no need to worry! Right, Kent?"

"If there's anything suspicious, we'll take care of it. Rest assured," he replied. Lyn seemed satisfied with the answer.

"Really? Well, good night then," she said. "See you tomorrow, Sean."

Wait, did she just talk to me? Sain and Kent looked surprised as well, since she turned in my direction. I stepped out from behind the corner.

"Y-Yeah..." I chuckled nervously. "Sorry about listening in."

"It's nothing important," said Kent, walking toward the entrance. "Let's go, Sain."

"Ha! No one ever trusts me..." sighed Sain, who followed. "Good night, Sean."

"Night," I replied. I looked at Lyn, who was still standing. "Lyn, you knew I was awake?"

"Of course," she replied. "I could hear your footsteps from all the way over here."

"And you knew they were mine?" I asked.

"Your walk is unique," she replied. Well, that's the first time anyone has ever said that to me. "It's odd, but, I can sense something very different about you. I've known it since we left on this journey some time ago."

I had to admit, that girl was perceptive. Somehow, being raised in another world has caused me to have different mannerisms from those on Elibe. Though, everyone has differences, but Lyn somehow picked up on my otherworldly habits.

"Lyn, I..." I began.

"I'll wait for you to share your past with me," she said. "I know that it's your secret, and I understand. I just hope that you'll feel comfortable telling me about it soon, before we part ways." With that, she made her way to the inner chamber, where she was presumably going to sleep.

I wasn't sure if I should tell her. Who would believe me, that I came from another world that's way more technologically advanced, and was transported here after playing a chess game?

And yet, something told me that _she _would believe me.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_This was the hardest one yet! Why? Mostly because it involves Dorcas, a character I rarely use, and the entire objective is to protect Natalie for the entire chapter. I hope I managed to spice it up a bit to make it more exciting, but not too unbelievable. Finding a way to proceed from the end of the last chapter was no cakewalk either. I'm still trying very hard to follow the Rekka no Ken storyline as much as possible, so if anyone is out of character, or if Sean seems to be changing his name to Gary Stu, please tell me._

_Reviews would be appreciated!_


	6. Chapter 5: Beyond the Border

_A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! Well, day after, I guess. For obvious reasons, I couldn't post this story on Thursday, so here it is, one day later. Enjoy!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 5: Beyond the Border

The next morning came too quickly. Dorcas had made it back by sunrise, and so we immediately packed and were off. I was so dizzy from lack of sleep, and I wasn't even sure if I could think properly enough to come out with anything like I did against Carjiga.

If Professor Dumas wanted a good chess player to send to Elibe, I didn't think that I was the best choice. It's not like I didn't have my share of chess losses in the past. As far as I could tell, if my mind was required to save this world, this world was screwed.

"Great..." I muttered, trudging behind our marvelous group of mercenaries. "So, how far are we now, Kent?"

"We're almost at the Lycian border," he replied.

"Once we cross, we'll be safe from the bandits, right?" asked Lyn.

"We should be," said Wil. "I doubt they'll be willing to pursue us across the border."

"Oh, thank god..." I sighed. I was so sick of bandit raids. It was an incredibly good feeling to know that I won't have to try risking the lives of my friends again. "I'm looking forward to seeing your guys's home country."

"Lycia at last!" sighed Sain. "It's been a long time. Tomorrow, we'll dine on a feast of Lycia's finest foods! And the mistress of the inn at the crossing is said to be a beauty. Ah, yes... Food and love. No better way to restore a man's soul! This is going to be a fine evening, eh, Kent?"

"If your behavior is as deplorable as ever, we're staying elsewhere. We're not here for sightseeing," replied Kent.

Sain looked hurt. "Oh, come now! That's not fair!"

"I'm going to have to agree with Sain on this one," I said. "We've had a difficult journey, I think we can take a night to relax."

"Kent, the inn will be fine," said Lyn.

"As you say, milady," sighed Kent, defeated.

"Lyndis! You truly are an angel from on high!" said Sain with a loving tone, which Lyn had to laugh at.

"It's nothing," she replied. "Forget it."

"And I was the first to agree with you," I said to Sain, who just shrugged with his innocent smile.

"Ah! We'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep," said Florina, excited.

"I'll finally be able to get rid of this headache," I said to myself. "Stupid bandit raids."

"Oh no... those bandits are persistent, I'll give them that much," sighed Lyn.

The irony of what happened right after she said that just kills me.

"Ah! Here they are, we found them!!" a voice came from nearby. We looked to see the ugliest looking bandit yet, a dark gray haired man with a small beard, and a really, really big overbite. He was followed by two other bandits.

"Murphy's Law..." I groaned.

"What? Not again! They're still after us?!" said Wil.

"Heh heh heh..." laughed the bandit. "Don't think you're getting away so easily!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied. My headache was coming back. "Is this how you guys have your fun? Can't we just let this pass?"

"You leave alive, and everyone'll think the Ganelon bandits have gone soft!" a smaller, mouse-like brigand replied.

"So?" asked Lyn. "We care nothing for you or your reputations. We must get to Lycia! Get in our way, and you'll pay!"

The larger ugly one chuckled. "Cheeky little thing, aren't you? Let's get 'em, lads! And no holding back just 'cause there's women with 'em! Wipe 'em out!"

And of course, once he gave the command, bandits flocked out of their hiding places: from within the trees, and from the mountains. Awesome, just awesome.

"Looks like we'll have another share of battle for today," said Wil, readying his bow.

"I hope they'll leave us alone after this," said Florina, mounting Huey and taking her lance.

"Sean, are you ready?" asked Lyn, drawing the Mani Katti from its sheath.

"No," I replied honestly. "But, what can I do? I'll think the best I can with this headache, but I don't think it'll be worse than this."

"Eeeeek! Eeeeek! Eeeeeeeeeek!" we heard a girl's high pitched scream from nearby.

"I take that back," I muttered, uncovering my ears. "_Now_, I don't think it'll be worse than this."

"That scream... Look! Sean, someone's over there!" said Lyn, pointing toward a pink-haired teenage girl in a white dress and a purple-haired teenage boy in a red cloak. They seemed to be fighting the mouse man from earlier, who was firing a bow at them. We then saw the boy chant something, and a fireball appeared and hurled toward the attacker. The mouse man screamed as his clothes were burned, and ran toward a nearby stream to put it out.

"Wow, that's something you don't see every day," I whistled.

Lyn ran over to the two teenagers. "Um, excuse me... Hello?" she asked, getting their attention.

"Hm?" the girl in the white replied.

"Why are you fighting these bandits?" asked Lyn. Good question. These guys were after us.

"...It just happened," sighed the fire kid.

The girl huffed. "That's not true! Those ruffians thought that we were with you!!! You got us into a terrible situation! Now, how are you going to get us out?"

"Serra, if you'd not been so meddlesome, this all could have been avoided," the boy groaned, turning to Lyn. "My apologies. Please trouble yourself with us no more."

"But... if you're going to have to fight anyway, shouldn't we team up?" asked Lyn. "It will end things faster, right?"

The girl's smile brightened. "That's true. Yes! That's a good idea. Erk! Go and help these ladies."

"Excuse me. _LADIES_?" I asked. She just flashed me an innocent smile. This girl was kind of a ditz. Well, she was cute, but that's beside the point.

"But I... Fine!" the boy yelled, exasperated.

Lyn smiled. "Very good. My name's Lyn. So, tell me, will you join arms with us?"

"Yes, we'd be glad to," smiled the girl. "My name is Serra, This is my escort, Erk. Be a good boy, and go fight now, Erk."

Erk sighed in defeat. The poor guy seemed, for lack of a better term, pussy-whipped by this devil of a teenage girl. Heck she was barking commands at him as if he was a dog.

"I'm sorry about this," I said to him. "I'm Sean, the tactician of this group. And your girlfriend is... eccentric..."

"You have no idea," he replied. "And she's not my girlfriend." Just then, the mouse man was back, with a swordsman following.

"There they are! Kill them!" shouted Mr. Mouse.

"Lyn, take down that swordsman over there," I commanded. Lyn nodded and did as she was told. "Erk, do that fire... thing... on that mouse-looking guy over there."

"I'm not sure how I got into this mess," he sighed to me. "If I am going to fight, however, I will show you the true power of magic!" With that, he conjured another fireball, and ran toward the mouse guy, throwing it when he was close enough. The mouse man was covered in flames and screaming as his body burned to the power of Erk's magic.

"Well, I guess that's one down," I said, looking away from the flames. I looked over toward Florina, Dorcas, Kent, Sain, and Wil. Wil was firing at someone coming, and Dorcas was swinging his axe at another axeman. I decided to go up to the top of the hill to get a better look. There were several bandits: some archers, some swordsmen, and some axemen. "Okay, so there's the layout of the board," I said to myself, but then my headache kicked in. I collapsed on my knees, clutching my head in pain.

"Not now!" I groaned. My migraine was getting worse, and I could barely stand up, let alone think of a strategy. "Damn it..." Just then, I felt a warm glow from above me. It was a soothing feeling, like all of my pain was flowing away from my body. In fact, it had. My headache was gone in an instant. I looked up to see the source of the glow and saw Serra with her staff.

"You seemed in pain," she smiled. "I can't have someone in pain while a cleric such as myself has a healing staff with her."

"Healing staff?" I asked. Serra smiled and pointing to the tip.

"There, I healed your migraine for free!" she smiled as I got up. "Aren't I generous?"

"Er..." I raised an eyebrow.

"Hm? Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Serra. "Praise my generosity!"

"Uh... right..." I began. "You're a wonderful, generous person."

"Eeeee!" she shrieked, embarassed. "Oh, you're too kind, Mr. Tactician!"

"Yeah..." I had the urge to smack my forehead. This girl was as ditzy as they come. How did Erk put up with her?

Well, she _was_ cute...

"Oh right, strategy!" I remembered why I was on this hill in the first place. "I've got to get to the others."

"I... got the swordsman." I turned to see Lyn, clutching her bloodied arm with the Mani Katti firmly in her grip. "An axeman caught me off guard though."

"Lyn!" I said, running to her. "You're injured!" Right, as if that wasn't obvious enough. My stupid mouth likes to work before my brain does. I turned to Serra. "How far can your magic heal, Serra?" I asked.

"I'll let you see," she winked at me. "I'm going to use my staff. Watch in wonder!" The familiar soothing glow emitted from the tip of the staff, and Lyn's arm began to heal instantly. Lyn moved her arm to check, and smiled.

"That's pretty useful," I said. Serra winked at me in response.

"That's what I'm good for," she smiled.

Right. Apparently not for much else though...

* * *

With the mage and cleric on our team, we had few problems. Erk managed to take down all of the archers among the attacking bandits, allowing Florina to fly over them without much trouble, and for Wil to have very little competition. Dorcas and Kent took down most of the Axemen, while Sain, Florina, and Wil managed to hold off the sword-wielding mercenaries. That, of course, left me and Lyn to go... well...

"You scum! You're gonna learn why people fear the Ganelon bandits!" shouted the leader. Right, we got to go get his royal ugliness while everyone was taking care of the masses. As much as I would've loved to run off alone with her, I kind of had to see my plans through. At the very least to be polite to the people who I commanded.

I hate this job.

"Look, pal, your guys are all dying out there," I told him. "Call them back and we can just let all this pa-" He interrupted by swinging his axe at me, which Lyn pulled me out of the way of. Just as a side note: trying to talk an ugly, axe-wielding brute out of killing you is totally not worth a shot.

"I won't let this pass!" he shouted. "You will die, scum!"

Honestly, give me a better insult already! Oh right. Bandit. He probably didn't even know the word "vocabulary".

"I won't let you block my way!" said Lyn, unsheathing the Mani Katti. "I must get to Lycia!"

"Right," I said. "This girl managed to take down some of your other Ganelon buddies. She won't have much trouble with you!" He glared at me with a clearly murderous intent. "Okay, shutting up now..."

"Die!" he screamed, readying his axe. Lyn took the opportunity to lunge at him, cutting him across the chest. The man screamed in pain, nearly dropping his axe. "You... little... WENCH!!!" As Lyn was taking a second to recover her balance from the lunge, he swung his axe at her.

"LYN!" I shouted, getting up to push her out of the way. Well, that was what I wanted to do, but knowing me, probably would've gotten killed doing it. Fortunately, an incoming fireball managed to knock that axe right out of the guy's hand.

"OUCH!" screamed the leader, clutching his burned hand.

"Somehow you didn't pick up that we had a mage fighting for us," I smiled, turning toward the hill where the fireball came from. "Good timing, Erk!"

"I would have been here sooner, but _someone_ insisted I save her from a bee," sighed the purple haired mage.

"It was after me!" complained Serra, coming up from behind him.

I sighed. It was probably my mistake for letting her stay with him. Oh well, it worked out. Lyn got up again and, with one powerful thrust, stabbed his royal ugliness in the gut.

"Baaaaaah... Scum... You're all scum..." muttered the leader. At the same time, the rest of our band of mercenaries managed to take down the remaining bandits.

"You know, it would've been a bit harder for us if there were more than seven of you," I said to him. He shot me an angry glare and growled at me, before falling over, dead. I shrugged. "Well, guess that's something the Ganelon bandits won't know about."

Lyn panted a little and sheathed her sword, and wiped some sweat from her brow. "Nicely done, Sean. That should about do it."

Serra walked over to Lyn. "What a surprise. You are very strong, Lyn."

"Your staff is a wondrous thing," Lyn replied. "Healing powers amaze me."

Serra held the said object high with a proud smile on her face. "Only those in the service of good can wield them!" she smiled.

"You helped us tremendously," said Lyn. "Well, it's time for us to go."

"Take care," said Serra. "Good-bye Lyn! Sean!"

"Fare you well," Lyn replied. "And you too, Erk!" The teenage mage just answered with a polite nod.

"Bye!" I yelled. Serra was annoying, but Lyn was right. She was incredibly helpful. My headache was gone, and none of us had any injuries thanks to her. And that was also the first time I saw real magic. I was really glad that we had bumped into them. And that pink-haired girl _was_ cute.

"Okay, now we just have to gather the rest of our group," I told Lyn, heading to where we were before bumping into the bandits. "Looks like Florina's on her way." Sure enough, Florina was flying toward us on Huey, and landed nearby.

"We did it!" she exclaimed, running over toward Lyn. "No more bandit raids for today!"

"Thank goodness," Wil said, coming from behind me. "I'm just about out of arrows."

"It will be some time before the Ganelon come after us again," said Dorcas, who arrived alongside Kent.

"It is imperative that we leave immediately, and don't stop until we reach the border," said the red knight. "We do not want another attack by the Ganelon slowing us down."

"Agreed," said Lyn. She then looked around for a little bit. "Where's Sain?"

"He was with me when we finished with those last few bandits," said Kent.

"Then, where could he be?" asked Wil.

"He couldn't have been attacked. The only other ones in the area were Erk and Serra," I said.

"Who are they?" asked Florina.

"A couple of travelers we met earlier," said Lyn. "They were very helpful to us."

"Yeah, Erk was a wizard-guy, and Serra was a cleric," I said. "And the only reason Sain would defect from our group is if he saw... a..." I paused. Yeah, completely obvious answer, and I couldn't believe it took me that long to figure it out.

And the blatantly obvious answer was confirmed within seconds from an approaching high pitched voice.

"WHEEEEEE!!!!"

* * *

"And that's when you offered to give her a ride on your horse..." I finished Sain's sentence. "Well, looks like we've recruited two more members."

"Ah, to have such a beautiful creature have her arms around me as I gallantly ride through the wind!" sighed Sain. "It is like a lovely dream!"

"Well, I suppose as long as you're happy..." said Lyn, shaking her head. "It is good to have more companions, though."

I looked at Erk, who just had a pissed off look on his face. I decided it would be a good idea to talk to the guy. "I'm sorry about this, Erk."

He looked at me for a second before heaving a defeated sigh. "Well, at least her voice won't be the only one ringing in my ears now," he sighed. "I suppose that traveling together won't be such a bad experience."

"We can send you an escort to Ostia once we reach Caelin," said Kent. "They will make sure that Lady Serra arrives safely. Thank you for coming with us."

"Oh, it's nothing," smiled Serra. "Once this knight had his eyes on me he knew that he must take me with him to be his princess!"

"Good job, Sain," I muttered. Sain was just smiling happily for the fact that there was another female among us, and not really listening to me. "Well, we're glad to have you with us."

"Yes, a cleric and a mage would most definitely be welcome," said Dorcas. "I know that the Ganelon will not fare well against a mage, and a healer may be necessary if we are attacked again."

"This is wonderful," said Wil. "Lyndis's Legion is growing beautifully!"

I couldn't help but smile at that. I had to admit, when I first arrived in Sacae, I had never expected to meet so many new people, or to go through so many of these battles. Yet somehow, it felt right that this group of people would be traveling with us. Maybe it had something to do with my destiny, but I had the feeling that "Lyndis's Legion" would be important in my future.'

Or maybe I just didn't want to do things alone.

"Alright, so shall we head out?" I asked. "Lycia isn't too far now, right?"

"We only need to cross this last mountain," said Kent.

Destiny, here I come.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_A/N: Well, I don't have much to say about this chapter, except that I got lazy. You may notice that this one is much shorter than previous chapters. It was hard to follow a chapter like the previous one, with the interesting strategy using Dorcas, so I just kind of meant for this one to be there to introduce Erk and Serra. _

_If you don't think it's to the level of previous chapters, don't worry. The upcoming chapters will have more of my own subplots and will only slightly deviate from the game. I just couldn't really find a place for them in this chapter.  
_

_Review!_


	7. Chapter 6: Blood of Pride

_A/N: New Chapter! And, in my opinion, one of my better ones! Enjoy!_

_Also, if anyone is curious as to what Sean might look like in a Fire Emblem game, check out my profile!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 6: Blood of Pride

"Finally! Civilization!" I cheered, running into the city gates. "Roads! Buildings! People that aren't bandits!"

"Calm down, Sean," laughed Lyn. "I know it has been a long journey from Sacae, and the bandits raids have ceased, but you do not need to act like a hyperactive child."

How could I not, though? After three weeks of continuous bandit raids, sleeping on hard ground, and bug bites, we had finally reached Lycia. We had not spent a night in the inn at the crossing as planned, because by the time we had reached the border it was already too late to get a room. It was unfortunate, but as long as we eventually got to sleep in a bed, I was fine.

Kent had left earlier in the morning and put Sain in charge. Turns out that Sain, when not flirting with every woman he meets, was actually a decent leader. We managed to make good time and arrived in the city before noon, and it was here that I was acting like a hyperactive child.

"What city is this?" asked Lyn.

"This? This is Araphen," Sain replied. "After Ostia, it's the second biggest city in all of Lycia."

"The second biggest, hm?" asked Lyn as we walked into the crowd of people. "It does seem awfully busy. By the way, where's Kent?"

Sain shrugged. "He said he was going to the castle, but..." We then heard the sound of hooves approaching. "Ah, here he comes now!"

Sure enough, the red knight was riding back from Castle Araphen and stopped near us. "Milady Lyndis! Let us proceed to the castle!" he said. "They've prepared supplies for us. The marquess has agreed to aid us on our journey to Caelin."

"He's going to help us?" asked Lyn, excitedly.

Kent nodded. "Yes. Araphen and Caelin have enjoyed a sturdy friendship for many years. Once I informed the marquess of our plight, he agreed to lend us his strength."

"Looks like we've got a smooth road ahead!" exclaimed Sain.

"Oh, thank god..." I sighed. "No more battles for a while. That would be so comforting right now."

"If we could pick up some soldiers, the road to Caelin would be that much safer," Kent said to Lyn. "I'm truly sorry for hardships you've suffered so far."

Lyn just smiled. "Don't be silly. You are so capable, Kent."

"Kent!?" Sain and I yelled at the same time.

"Hm?" asked Lyn, before she realized why we both shouted. "Oh, and so are you, Sain. And of course you too, Sean."

"Of course I am!" Sain smiled proudly. I just shook my head. I knew that it would be wrong of me to judge what Lyn thought of me from a single sentence like that, but I had the sinking feeling that Lyn was beginning to suspect that I wasn't really a tactician. I didn't really consider it, because of more important things at hand.

"The castle awaits..." said Kent, pointing us in the direction of the large building.

And so we made our way to the castle, and I was looking forward to a bath and a good night's sleep. Yes, things were going to be easier from that point on. Well, that's what I had hoped for, anyway, but of course, once again, fate was completely against me.

"This is terrible!" shouted one of the townsfolk as we passed by. "The castle is burning!!"

"What did you say?" asked Sain. "What's going on?"

"Smoke! From the castle!" he replied, pointing. Sure enough, there was a noticeably large fire in one of the castle towers and a lot of smoke coming out of the windows.

"Aw, man..." I sighed. "Why does this happen?! Can we please get a break already?"

"Hey! What are those men doing?" asked the townsfolk. Several men with large swords ran closer to us. Realizing that it was dangerous, the rest of the townsfolk fled to the nearest building and locked themselves in, leaving us alone. Typical.

One of the men approached Lyn. He had red hair and a teal shirt on, and a scowl on his ugly face. Well, at least he looked better than that ugly bandit we fought the day before.

"Who are you?" asked Lyn.

"You! You're Lyndis, aren't you?" he asked. Lyn's eyes widened, and I began having some flashbacks of the incident at Bulgar, when that scary-looking axeman approached Lyn and called her by her name. It was a fairly straightforward conclusion that this man was one of Lyn's granduncle Lundgren's lackeys.

Well, crap.

"What do you--" Lyn began, taking a step back from the creepy man.

"No questions! Prepare yourself!" shouted the swordsman, grabbing her arm.

"Hey!" shouted Lyn.

"Let her go, you creep!" I shouted, throwing a punch at his face. Again, the acting without thinking kicked in. This guy barely felt my punch, my hand hurt like hell, and another swordsman punched me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I doubled over in pain. Yeah, this wasn't going very well.

"Sean!" shouted Lyn, swinging her arm forcefully so that the swordsman would let go. It wasn't a success. This guy had a pretty tight grip.

Just then, the man fell over screaming for a few seconds, and died. It was pretty sudden, and I was on the ground, so Lyn saw the cause of it before I did.

"What? An arrow?" she asked.

Apparently an arrow had flown onto the scene, and caught the creepy guy in the side of the neck, killing him instantly. At first, I thought that Wil had entered the scene, but then I noticed the pattern on the arrow: it looked like the pattern on something I saw in Lyn's home. It was Sacaen. But, Lyn was the only Sacaen in our group, so who...?

I heard the sound of hooves nearby. I'm pretty sure Lyn heard them too, because we both turned to see a man with a bandana riding a horse. He had green hair, and wore what looked like nomadic clothing like I had seen some people in Sacae wear. His gray horse had some cloth on its saddle that looked similar to the patterns on Lyn's clothing. The man put the bow away and dismounted his horse, walking closer to us. As he approached, the other two men scattered away from us.

"Who are--" Lyn began.

"Milady Lyndis! Are you alright?" asked Kent, riding over toward us.

"I'm fine," Lyn replied quietly. "He... This man saved me."

"May I ask you name?" asked Kent.

The man's cold expression didn't change, and stepped back. Evidently he wasn't the talkative type.

"Wait!" Lyn stopped him. "Why did you help me?"

His answer was clear. "I thought a Sacaen plainswoman was being attacked," he replied, turning around. "I was mistaken."

So he _was _from Sacae. I was picking up on these things a lot better than I thought I was.

"No, you were right!" said Lyn. "I am from Sacae. I'm Lyn, the daughter of the Lorca chieftain." At this, he turned around immediately, with what I thought was a shocked look on his face. It was hard to tell.

"The Lorca? There were survivors?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Lyn, quietly. It seemed that she was remembering the Taliver raid. That was something I'd been meaning to ask her about, but I also remembered that I had my own share of secrets.

The man paused for a few seconds before finally speaking. "You should leave at once. A blaze has started in the castle, and it's spreading. Don't be foolish and waste the life I just saved."

"Well, that's a nice way to put things," I wheezed, but I don't think anyone heard me speak. My stomach was still in pain, and no one was helping me up. Great. I take one good punch to the gut and suddenly everyone ignores me.

"You're from the castle?" asked Lyn. "What's happening? How severe is the fire? Is the marquess safe?"

"The castle is under attack, and the marquess has been accosted," he replied. "The man who attacked you was probably one of the marauders. As captain of the castle guard, it's my duty to rescue the marquess."

"I see..." said Lyn. I knew immediately what the upcoming response was going to be. "All right then, we'll help you." Bingo.

"Milady?" asked Kent.

"Why?" asked the Sacaen. Lyn's gaze didn't shift at all when she answered.

"Those brigands are after me," she replied, with an apologetic tone. "If they're attacking the castle, it's because of me. So I must help if I can..."

"It sounds like you're involved somehow," he replied, turning to his horse. "Let's go."

"You'll accept our aid?" asked Lyn. Hearing this, Kent rode back toward the rest of our group, probably to gather everyone to fight again.

"I am Rath of the Kutolah," he said, mounting his horse. "Our tribes may be different, but I will not abandon a woman of the Sacae." Lyn seemed to smile at this response.

"Thank you, Rath!" she exclaimed. "A thousand blessings upon you!"

"And a thousand curses upon our enemy!" he replied, with the smallest hint of a smile. He turned his horse and began riding toward the castle.

"Come!" shouted Lyn, who was about to run after Rath before she noticed I was still on the ground. "Oh! Sean! I'm so sorry, I--"

"--didn't notice me?" I finished for her. "It's okay, I'm used to it." Okay, that came out wrong.

"No, it's not," she answered, helping me up. "I'm so sorry, you were hit for me and I ignored you. I keep forgetting that you aren't a warrior. That must have been painful."

"It's not that bad," I replied with a wheeze. "So, this Rath guy is from Sacae?"

"Yes, the Kutolah tribe is one of the most powerful clans in Sacae," Lyn answered. "To think we'd find him here. We were very fortunate."

"Yeah..." I answered. Something about this Rath guy rubbed me the wrong way. I had always found those cold, antisocial people scary, but it was more than that. I think it was probably jealousy. This guy was able to make Lyn forget about me for a moment, and yet, I supposedly reminded her of her dead fiance. Who was this guy?

And why did I care?

* * *

"Alright, it seems that the only way we can move in is from the front," I said once everyone had gathered together. We were outside the barracks near the castle, and I was scanning the area for potential entry points, trying to think of a plan. "It also seems like the marauders have some sentries placed out front, meaning that if we try to get near, they will inform the ones who are holding the marquess. We'll need some sort of diversion..."

"Your tactician needs discipline," Rath stated. "Entering from the front is like telling them the marquess is expendable. We cannot afford to take such a risk." I glared at him.

"Do you have a better idea, wise-guy?" I demanded. This guy was seriously pissing me off. Unfortunately, he was right. I just couldn't think of a good strategy at this point, but without any sort of layout of the castle, I was stumped.

"Once the marquess is safe, my men can move in," he replied, pointing to the barracks. "Perhaps the secret passageway..."

"Secret passageway?" asked Lyn. Great, now he's stealing my job. What else could go wrong?

"An underground tunnel that leads to the throne room," said Rath. "There are triggers in the barracks that will open the tunnel."

"Head through the passage to the throne room... and rescue the marquess," said Lyn. "Once that's done, can you drive the enemy from the castle?"

Rath nodded. "If we can release those triggers, my men and I can handle the rest. There are three triggers, though. All three need to be released, or the entrance won't open."

Lyn nodded, getting up to open the barrack doors, but realized that she couldn't. "The doors to the barracks are locked," she realized.

"The enemy's within," said Rath. "If we don't get inside and finish them, we're stuck."

"So opening these doors are our first objective," said Lyn. Rath nodded.

"As long as your tactician agrees with the plan," he said, looking at me. "Or perhaps he'd rather take a more direct approach and risk his men."

"You--!!" I was about to hit that guy, when Lyn held me back. I couldn't take it, this guy was stealing my job and insulting me! "Quit acting so smug! If I knew about that secret passage, I would've said so sooner!" I shouted.

"And evidently, you have no restraint in allowing the enemy to know of our plan," said Rath. "If we are to succeed, boy, I suggest you keep quiet."

I couldn't take it. I had never felt so angry in my life, and somehow, this Rath guy seemed to touch nerves that I didn't know I had. Yeah, I was losing my temper, and I was putting everything at risk, but at the time, I didn't care.

"Please calm down, Sean," said Lyn, holding me by the arms. "Please, the marquess's life is our priority." Hearing Lyn speak somehow seemed to soothe me. I couldn't hit the guy, not when he was right. I wasn't a tactician. I was just a nerdy chess player and a math geek, the kind of guy that a girl like Lyn wouldn't take a second look at back in my world. And knowing this, I realized that I was putting everyone at risk by just being there.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "You're right, Rath. We will take care of the men inside the barracks and release all three triggers."

"Sean..." whispered Lyn, letting me go. There was an awkward silence for a bit from the entire group and I tried gathering my thoughts together. "So, what shall we do, Sean?" asked Lyn.

"It seems logical that the locked doors will require keys to open them," said Erk.

"Well, that makes sense," said Serra. "So all we need to do is get some keys!"

"Not so simple," said Dorcas. "We'll need the keys to the barracks. And we don't know where they are."

"We don't have any keys with us," said Lyn, thinking. "Perhaps some of the marauders are carrying keys."

"That would make sense," I said. "Right, the marauders then. We're going to need to take the keys from some of them and open the door." Another thought crossed my mind at that point. "We'll also need to warn some of the people living in this city. Lyn, Florina, go check some of the nearby houses and tell the people to lock their doors."

Florina nodded in compliance and flew into the city. Lyn was about to leave, when she looked back at me.

"Sean..."

"The marquess's life is our priority," I told her, repeating her words. "Go warn the townspeople." To that, Lyn nodded, though her worried look didn't change, and ran off. I felt horrible. To think that those two referred to me as one of the nicest guys they had ever met. How this damaged their view of me was something I didn't want to find out.

"Sean, our orders?" asked Kent. I snapped out of my thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

"Kent, Sain, Dorcas, take out as many of the marauders nearby as you can," I told them. "And if you find some keys, bring them back here."

"Okay! For the beautiful ladies of Castle Araphen, I march forward!" shouted Sain, riding off. I chuckled. I really needed that. Dorcas and Kent followed our favorite green knight. This left me, Wil, Erk, Serra, and Rath.

"Rath, gather up your men," I told him. "When the passageway opens, you need to storm the castle and free the marquess."

"It seems you've finally come to your senses," said Rath, mounting his horse and riding away. Man, I hate that guy.

"What about us?" asked Serra. "Don't we get to do something fun?"

"You guys are going to be the attack force inside the barracks," I told them. "My guess is that there'll be several soldiers inside waiting for people to come in to release the switches."

"I see," said Erk. "And you also suspect that none of them will be mages, so they won't have any sort of defense against me."

"Right, let's go with that..." I chuckled. Honestly, they just happened to be the only ones left, but if an explanation like that worked for them, then that's what we'd need to go with.

"But that means that we have to sit here and wait for them to bring us keys?" pouted Serra. "Well, shoot..."

"Don't worry, we'll get our share of the action soon enough," I replied.

It was only a few minutes before we did, though. "Pardon! You're Sean, right?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned to see a young man with dirty blond hair and a red scarf around his neck. "I'm Matthew. I've been hired by the lovely Sacaen lady to aid you with my talents."

"Lyn hired you?" I asked. "Well, okay, what are your talents?"

"Watch," he smiled, pulling out what looked like a bent piece of wire. He walked over to the nearest barrack door and twisted it around for a few seconds. He then pushed open the door confidently. I think my jaw kind of dropped at that point.

"You're a thief!" Wil realized.

"You wanted to get into the barracks," smiled Matthew, twirling the lockpick around his finger. "Told you I was useful."

"There's the switch inside!" said Erk, pointing to an oddly colored tile at the far end of the room. "It seems that we need to step on it to release it." He walked over to it and stood on the tile. We heard a click, and a nearby wall opened, revealing more of the inside, and more marauders.

"Well, that works," I said. "Alright guys, let's get ready to rumble!" Hooray for corny lines that weren't corny in this world.

At that moment, Lyn and Florina arrived back, brandishing their weapons.

"You've opened the passage," said Lyn. I nodded.

"Matthew was a big help," I told her. "Florina, go find Sain and Kent, and tell them that we've released one switch and they need to find a second one."

"Y-Yes," Florina answered meekly, flying off again.

"She's kind of cute," chuckled Matthew. I wanted to agree, but Lyn was standing right next to me. I knew she was expecting me to answer him, but I couldn't just say something stupid. I thought for a second before replying.

"She's afraid of men, so don't even think about making a move on her," I said.

"Oh, so you want her for yourself, eh?" smiled Matthew. Oh good, now I'm a pervert. Apparently thinking about what I said didn't help matters very much. Thanks a lot, Matthew...

"Let's save the marquess, and then worry about this?" said Lyn, interrupting. I wasn't sure, but I think I could detect a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Hey!" said Matthew, pointing to the opened passage. "Unless my eyes deceive me, that's a chest! Say, Sean! Since we came all this way, what say we help ourselves?"

"Um, how about no?" I asked. Stealing treasure was not something that I considered moral, and plus Lyn seemed to give me a face that said not to trust his character.

"Huh?" he asked. "What do you mean, 'No'? Don't be such a bore. If you want to win, you've got to use every means at your disposal. That's an ironclad rule!"

"But-" I began.

"Yeah, I know stealing's bad," said Matthew. "I'm well aware of that. We're saving the marquess, right? Let's just call this an advance on our reward, OK?"

"Well, I suppose-" I began again.

"Great! I'll just help myself then!" smiled Matthew, running inside.

"You are going to steal treasures from Castle Araphen?" asked Lyn. "Sean, I had thought better of you..."

"Lyn, i-it's not like that!" I tried defending myself. "Matthew is, well... you know, you hired him..."

"Don't try placing the blame on me!" she shouted at me, running inside. I took a step back. This day was not going well.

"I-I wasn't..." I finally managed to say. I fell on my knees. Only earlier today we were laughing together and were basically happy about our lives. But now...

"Don't mind her, Sean," Florina's voice came from behind me. "I-I told Sir Kent about the other switches, and he has released it." I looked inside the passage and, indeed, another wall had opened.

"Good," I replied. "Now for switch number 3."

"S-Sean," Florina began again. "Lyn will not be angry at you for long. She's just... confused..."

"I hope so," I sighed. My guess was that, with another Sacaen working with us, Lyn found someone that she had things in common with. At the same time, though, she didn't want to leave me behind, and thus, the confusion began. "But that isn't our main concern. We need to release that last switch."

"Then I suggest we hurry," said Erk, pointing to the newly opened wall. "There is an armored knight protecting the final switch."

"That is Bool," said Rath, riding up next to us. "He is a traitorous knight from our castle guard. He is the one who told the marauders of the passageway and that is how they managed to get in. Tactician, I have gathered all of the remaining castle guard to rescue our marquess."

"We got one switch left," I told him. I turned to our mage. "Erk, I doubt that armor is magic resistant. Hit him from afar with your fire."

"I will do as you command," said Erk, conjuring a fireball in his hand, and throwing it at the knight. There was a large burn mark on his armor from where the fire hit, but he didn't seem to be too damaged.

"Bah, Lyndis and her cadre," he muttered. "When did you arrive? No matter, I shall deal with you." He moved forward, and thrust his lance at Erk. The young mage managed to dodge, but the tip caught him on his shoulder.

"Erk!" shouted Serra. "I'm going to go heal him!"

"Go do that," I told her. "Florina, hold him off for a bit. Don't let him get near Erk and Serra."

"B-But..." she seemed nervous. I couldn't blame her, this knight was huge. She was scared of regular men, much less a hulk like this one.

"Florina, you can do this," I told her. "I've seen you fight. And now, we need you to keep that man off of our friends."

"Yes!" she said, with new resolve. Wow, I must be better than I thought. Florina took toward Bool and thrust her lance at him. It didn't do much damage, but I didn't expect it to. I just wanted him distracted long enough for Serra to fix up Erk.

"Rath, Wil, go back up Florina," I told them. The two archers nodded and fired arrows at the knight. Erk also managed to get up and threw another fireball at him. Bool seemed to take every hit, until...

"RAAAAH!" he screamed, swinging his huge lance in a big circle, knocking over Florina and Erk. Okay, so apparently that wasn't such a good idea.

"Our arrows can barely pierce his armor," said Wil. "I'm not sure we can beat him without Florina and Erk."

"Keep firing, I'll think of something," I told them. Right when I said that, Lyn jumped into the room with a large sword and swung it at Bool, making a large cut in his chest armor. Erk took this oppurtunity to throw a fireball into the broken armor, scalding the man. He clutched his chest in pain, and Rath saw his chance to fire an arrow into his chest.

"Gah! Lord Lundgren..." he murmured with his dying breath.

And there fell Sir Bool, right on top of the last switch.

* * *

From there it was smooth sailing. Rath's men stormed the throne room, which was filled with knights. With her new armorslayer, acquired courtesy of Matthew, Lyn was able to cut much of their armor, leaving them vulnerable to the attacks of the rest of our group. The marquess, an old man with what looked like bleached blonde hair, was safe in his room once we arrived. Rath managed to take out the men holding him hostage, and the rest of his men put out the fires in the castle. With that, we won the battle.

"Ah! It's Rath!" said the marquess after all was finished. We were all gathered in the throne room, glad to see that everything was okay. "Well done! What a performance!"

"Sir... If you have praise, it should be given to this group," the Sacaen replied, pointing to us.

"Hm? Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Lyndis," she answered. "I am pleased that you are well."

The marquess's expression changed from one of appreciation to a stern face. "Oh... It's you. You're Marquess Caelin's--" He cleared his throat, and turned to Rath. "Leave us, Rath. I would speak with this girl."

Rath just gave a slight bow, and walked out of the room. The marquess turned to Lyn again.

"Now, Lady Lyndis..." he began. "Do you know the identity of those responsible for this uproar?"

"I believe it to be the work of my granduncle, Lundgren," she replied.

His expression changed to an angry one. "That's exactly right. Which means my castle has been damaged in your family's petty inheritance dispute!"

"M-My apologies," said Lyn, obviously taken aback by his statement.

"That's not fair!" I shouted. "Lyn doesn't even want that inheritance!"

"Watch your tongue," said Kent, holding me back. "You are in the presence of a marquess."

The marquess sighed. "When I heard Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble, I thought to lend my assistance..." He glared at us. "But I find that I've changed my mind. I withdraw my offer!"

"W-Wait!" I began. "I'm sorry for shouting, but-"

"Marquess Araphen, you gave me your word, my lord!" said Kent.

"Your name is Kent, is it not?" asked the marquess. "You failed to inform me of one most vital detail!"

"What... What do you mean?" asked Kent, obviously shocked at the marquess's anger.

"This girl does resemble Lady Madelyn, but... I didn't expect to see her so tainted with the blood of Sacae."

"What?!?" gasped Lyn.

"You can't be serious!" I shouted. "What does _that _have to do with anything?!"

"Don't you feel the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this... nomadic mongrel?" he spat.

"You--!" both Sain and I began at the same time. I was so glad that he had the same thoughts as I did. I didn't feel so bad about wanting this guy to have a fist in his face.

"Sain! Sean! Hold!" commanded Kent. "My apologies, my lord Marquess."

"Hm, your men are undisciplined," said Marquess Araphen.

"Marquess Araphen!" said Kent. "Please... If you would grant us with your aid..."

"I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed," replied Marquess Araphen. "I question whether he would survive to meet this girl. In which case, his brother, Lundgren, will claim his title. And I certainly wish to avoid trouble with the coming marquess."

"You bast-!" I began, but stopped myself. I knew now. I had to learn to show restraint. I couldn't place my friends in danger like I almost did earlier. But Sain seemed to share my sentiments.

"You scheming..." he muttered.

"Sain!" shouted Kent. Lyn decided to step in at this point.

"I understand," she said. "Kent, Sain, we take our leave at once."

"Milady Lyndis! We-" Kent began, but Lyn interrupted him.

"I am proud of the Sacae blood that runs through my veins," said Lyn, glaring at the marquess. "I will _NOT_ accept aid from one who disparages my heritage." I smiled at this, knowing that the conversation was over.

* * *

"That was well done, milady!" Sain complimented Lyn after we had made our way outside. "The marquess is a lout. Don't worry about anything. We're all here for you! Isn't that so, Kent?"

Kent paused before speaking. "I beg your forgiveness."

Lyn looked confused. "Why are you apologizing, Kent?"

"I've been so concerned with seeing you to Caelin. I failed to take your feelings into account," he replied.

Lyn smiled. "Is that it? Trouble yourself no more. You have put my safety above all else. I have seen that... Hold your head up and be proud."

"Milady Lyndis..." whispered Kent.

"Well, I guess we just have to move forward now," I said. "And I guess no bed for tonight?"

"I'm sure the Lady Lyndis can keep you comfortable for tonight," a voice from behind us chuckled, causing both me and Lyn to blush like mad.

"M-Matthew!" I stammered. "How long were you here?"

"Long enough," he smiled. "I've decided not to accept payment for my services this time, so long as you allow me to travel with you!"

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"There's an inheritance dispute going on in Caelin," he replied. "I'm sure that the marquess will give me a just reward for reuniting him with his beloved granddaughter."

"Matthew..." whispered Lyn. "But, it will be so dangerous."

"Bah, it's boring in Araphen," he chuckled. "Well, I'm going to bring the good news to the rest of the group." And with that, he disappeared behind some bushes. So that was the ability of a thief. He might be useful.

* * *

"Well, let's head out," I said to the group after we had gathered together. The sun was beginning to set outside the gates of Araphen, and everyone began walking toward Caelin.

Lyn looked contemplative. "The marquess of Araphen... He said my grandfather was ill. We must hurry to Caelin..."

"As we approach Caelin, Lundgren's obstacles will be more difficult to overcome," said Kent. "However, I've vowed to see you through to the end, milady!"

"I'm counting on you, Kent," she replied.

"I'm with you, too!" said Sain.

Lyn laughed at him. "Thank you, Sain." The two knights left us alone after she said that. Lyn then turned to me. "Sean..."

"I said I'll stick with you," I told her. "And no lack of bed or bathing conditions is going to change that."

"Thank you for always standing at my side," she smiled at me. "It's because of all of you that I... I will persevere! They will never break my spirit!"

"I-I'm sure they won't..." I tried finding words again. I can come up with strategies but for some reason my vocabulary was limited when around Lyn. Well, at least my temper had gone down, and things seemed to be back to normal between us. I was glad, because it would've sucked if Lyn didn't want me around. She was the reason I came to Elibe in the first place.

As we made our way from Araphen, we were stopped by a familiar face.

"Rath!" exclaimed Lyn. "What is it? What are you--"

"I overheard the marquess talking to himself," he replied. "Lyn of the Lorca... Proud daughter of the Sacae... I would join you. I would add my strength to yours."

"No way..." I groaned inwardly. Great, the perpetually quiet guy is coming with us. And furthermore, he seemed to be sweet on Lyn! Oh, life was going to be fantastic...

"Really?" asked Lyn, smiling.

"And this, I want you to take it," he said, tossing her a sack.

"This is... GOLD?!" exclaimed Lyn. I took a look and yes, it was definitely gold. And a lot of it. "It's too much, I can't accept it!"

Rath turned toward the direction where the others were going. "I have no need for it. And if it will help you..."

"But..." Lyn began.

"I cannot take back something once offered," he answered before she said anything, and began walking away. The epitome of the cool rebel. The kind of guy that girls at the school in my world seemed to fall for all the time.

"Rath... I thank you," whispered Lyn, holding the sack of gold. Apparently even here, that kind of guy was still more attractive than me.

Stupid love triangle...

* * *

It was later that night, when everyone was asleep, that I heard some flute music from nearby. It sounded like old tribal music from some places on Earth. I got out of my sleeping roll, and found the source of the lullaby. It wasn't who I expected.

"Rath?" I asked. The stoic guy looked at me and put down the flute.

"You are Sean, correct?" he asked me. I nodded. This was the first time he referred to me by name. "Did I wake you?"

"No, of course not," I replied, sitting down. "Your music is pretty."

"It was a lullaby played to me by my mother," he said. "Many years ago..."

"It sounds nice," I told him. "Hey, Rath. I'm really sorry about how I acted before. It was your plan that saved us all, and I guess that I was, well... jealous."

"It is nothing to apologize for," he answered. "I was skeptical of you before. You are very young for a tactician. I did not see that you had a sharp mind as well until we fought Bool inside the barracks."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I didn't think I did anything brilliant today. All I managed to do was mess up, and if Lyn hadn't found that armorslayer, Bool would've killed one of us.

"Your directing confidence into that pegasus knight to fight," he told me. "In order for a woman who fears men to believe in one so much, you must have had some well placed strategies in the past. I am sure that if you had known of the passageway, you would not have hesitated to use it."

"I suppose..." I sighed. I did manage to gain Florina's trust ever since we were in the mountains. But it really wasn't my strategy that did that. It was just me being me...

I then realized that I had the complete trust of our group, not just because I was their tactician. It was because they were my friends, and they knew that I would never allow them hurt in any way. Lyn, Kent, Sain, Florina, Wil, Dorcas, Erk, and Serra all trusted me with their lives, and I felt the same about all of them as well. And because of that, my confidence as a strategist was back.

And ironically, it was thanks to Rath, who I was so pissed off at earlier. Thanks for the pep talk, jerk.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_A/N: Well, I hope the length of this chapter makes up for the lack of length in the last chapter. A lot more happened in this one, and the beginnings of something that will reappear again and again: Love Triangle. As a character, I never really liked Rath. I have a bit of a thing against overly cool, quiet guys, but honestly, if Lyn were to end up with someone via supports, the one that I think makes the most sense is Rath. In Eliwood's and Hector's Tales, when Rath dies, Lyn actually stays with him. That and they have some sort of sexual tension between them the whole game. So, there will be a rivalry of sorts between Sean and Rath.  
_

_We're also beginning to see some of Sean's insecurities. So far, Sean has proven himself a very intelligent teenager, and a pretty good strategist. However, as illustrated in this chapter, he really has a lot to learn. I didn't want him to just show up in Elibe and just amazingly, without any experience, be a master tactician. _

_Review!  
_


	8. Chapter 7: Siblings Abroad

_A/N: And here we are at Chapter 7! I'm happy to say that this chapter is probably one of my best ones. From here on, the story will focus a lot more on Sean, since from this chapter forward (in Lyn's Tale), pretty much every character has been introduced. That means it will be more of my own story, which will run alongside the game, but not completely the game story. Enjoy!  
_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 7: Siblings Abroad

"Crap, where am I? Lyn? Kent? Sain?"

I wandered around the area trying to find where I had, well... wandered from. I was initially walking with the rest of the group, and constantly looking around to see if there was any place for Lundgren-lackies to hide and places for us to have a strategic advantage. Unfortunately, what I was not looking at was where the rest of the group had gone. Apparently, as I was focused on observing the area, my pace had slowed considerably, but no one noticed that I was missing for a while. As a result, I had no idea where I was.

It's good to be invisible.

I found an inn nearby, and walked in to see if anyone had seen Lyn or the rest of my friends. It was a pretty jovial place. A boy with light green hair was playing the flute, and an older girl, presumably his sister because of the color of her hair, was dancing to the music. Everyone in the room seemed energized when listening to the music and watching that really pretty girl dance. I was entranced for a second before remembering why I had walked in in the first place. I walked over to the first person I saw.

"Excuse me, miss?" I asked, tapping on a blond girl's shoulder. She turned to face me. "Have you seen a pretty dark green-haired girl wearing Sacaen clothing traveling with two knights, a shy lavender-haired pegasus knight, an archer, an axe-wielder, an outspoken pink-haired cleric, a purple-haired mage, a blonde thief guy, and a perpetually pissed-off nomad?" That was a mouthful, but I think that was specific enough.

"No, I haven't," she answered. I stopped for a second. Something was wrong here.

"Your voice is deeper than I would've imagined, miss," I said. She chuckled.

"That would be because I'm no miss."

"Oh!" I trailed off. That was what was wrong. "Wow! I'm really sorry, but from behind you looked... Wow, I'm so sorry..." Okay, this was really, really awkward. This was probably one of the most effeminate looking guys I had ever seen. Heck, this guy had curves! And, good lord, he was better looking than a lot of girls I've seen before, with those bright blue eyes, long blond hair, and that blue... dress...

"It's fine," he chuckled. "It's a situation I seem to find myself in quite often. But, returning to your rather long question, no, I have not seen a group like that recently. Are you lost?"

"Yeah..." I answered. "I accidentally separated from them some time ago. I'm sure they're looking for me."

"Well, I'm sure that you will find them soon," he smiled. "My name is Lucius."

"I'm Sean," I answered.

"Sean... what an odd name," he said thoughtfully. Why do people think that here? It's not _that_ odd! "Well, Sean. It was very nice to meet you. May St. Elimine bless you with her touch," said Lucius, walking away.

"And may no man... touch... you..." I answered, but trailed off. Okay, that really, _really_ came out wrong. I smacked my forehead. Even around a guy who looks as pretty as a girl I _still_ can't speak right. Hooray for my lack of social ability.

Oh right, I was lost. I asked around to see if anyone had spotted Lyn and my other friends nearby, but no dice. Typical. Sighing, I was about to leave when I bumped into a tall man in what looked like noble's clothing walking in.

"Sorry," I apologized, looking up at him. There was something weird about this guy. He was tall, and had a pale complexion. He had a lot of fiery orange hair, which was, for lack of a better term, poofy out front and seemed to slick back as it went further back. His most prominent feature was his eyes, though. They were golden, and his pupils were incredibly small, almost like slits. And dark lines descended down from the bottom of his eyes to his cheeks, almost as if he was crying with a lot of make-up on, yet somehow, these looked natural.

"It's fine," he said. He looked at me for a few seconds before speaking again. "Tell me, kid, are you lost?"

"Er... yeah," I replied. "I got separated from my friends a while back. I'm sure they're looking for me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "I'll tell you what, how about I help you pass some time here while your friends look for you?"

"I-I'd really better be going," I replied. It was only slightly creepy that this guy would want me to 'pass some time' with him. He gave me a rather large grin.

"Oh, come now," he smiled. "I have a couple of hours before my colleagues arrive for us to discuss business. I was hoping you'd like to play a game of sorts."

"A game?" I asked. "What game?"

"It's a game from a place far away," he smiled, reaching into his bag, and pulling out a box. "Innkeeper, could we have a table, please?"

"Certainly," the innkeeper replied, showing us to a small table with a candle. We both sat down at opposite ends of the table, and he put the box down.

"This is a game of strategy that I brought with me when I arrived in Bern some years ago," said the noble. "I think you may be interested in it." He opened the box and poured the contents onto the table. They were marble game pieces, black ones and white ones. Something about this seemed really familiar. It came together when he pulled the final item from the box: a large cloth 8-by-8 checkerboard.

"Chess?" I asked. He had a large grin on his face after I said that.

"So you know this game," he chuckled. "I suppose you don't need me to teach you the rules then."

"If it's the same chess that I know, then no, that won't be necessary," I replied, picking up the black pieces and setting them up. For some reason, I couldn't resist playing a game of chess with this guy. He did the same with the white pieces.

"This should be fun," he smiled, making his first move: Knight to F3.

"Beginning with the knight," I thought aloud. That wasn't exactly a traditional move, since normally openings begin with pawns. I countered by moving my pawn to E6...

And again, we have the exciting strategies and tactics behind a chess game that I'm sure you would rather I not go into detail on. Bottom line is that, he had some good offensive tactics throughout this entire game, and I kept my defensive strategies up, occasionally switching to offense and taking his pieces. After what seemed like forever, the game had completely stalled. We had countered each others moves perfectly, and were each left with only our kings and knights. It was safe to say that this guy was one of the best chess players I had ever met.

"I'm impressed," he smiled. "You are one of the best chess players I have ever met."

"Likewise," I replied. "It's pretty much impossible for either of us to win at this point. How about we call it a draw?"

"I'd say that would be a good idea," he smiled, putting away the chess pieces. "May I ask your name? I'd like to know the identity of my most worthy adversary."

"I'm Sean," I told him. "And you are?"

"You may call me Darius," he replied, shutting the box. "Thank you for a wonderful game, Sean. I hope that our tactical minds will meet again someday."

"I'm up for a challenge any day," I replied. With that, he smiled and left the table, moving up the stairs to another room. I took the time to go outside, remembering that I was still separated from Lyn and everyone. And I just wasted two freakin' hours. Damn it...

* * *

"Sean!"

Well, I found them. I managed to find a couple of travelers who had pointed me to where everyone was. Apparently, they were really close to the inn, only about half-an-hour of walking. Lyn ran over to me and hugged me when she saw me. "Oh Mother Earth, I was so worried! I thought that the Ganelon bandits had taken you!"

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I was keeping a close watch on the area to see if Lundgren's men were around, but I guess it was too close a watch, seeing as I didn't see where you all went."

"You gave us quite a scare, Sean," Sain said, shaking his head. "Lady Lyndis was in tears worrying about you."

"Uh..." I began. I looked at Lyn, who was still hugging me. I'm pretty sure I had a tomato face right now, and something else seemed to be reacting to her that I'd rather not mention.

"Please, Sean..." she whispered. "I don't care if my granduncle's men attack us. We can face them. Just don't worry me like that anymore..."

"I won't, Lyn," I replied. "I promise." Uneasily, I hugged her back. This kind of thing never happened to me before, not from a girl like her. And I had to say, the feeling was not a bad one. I could easily get used to this. Except now I promised that I wouldn't wander off again, so I began thinking of other ways to get a hug from her. And then I stopped, once again realizing that I was pathetic.

"You may let go now, Sean," said Kent. "Let us return to the rest of the group." Realizing I was still holding Lyn, I let go, blushing.

"S-Sorry..." I whispered. Lyn just smiled in response and began walking toward the two knights. God, she was beautiful, from her killer smile to her firm...

Okay, mind needs to get out of the gutter. Like, right now.

* * *

"So, is that where you've been for the last few hours?" asked Wil. "Playing a game?"

"It's a game of strategy," I explained. "It requires a good deal of planning and adapting to situations. To win you must be able to be able to launch a decent offense on the opponent all while defending yourself. You could say that it's a tactician's game."

"Well, while you were playing, we were searching for you," said Kent. "Please, do not wander off again."

"I said I'm sorry," I replied.

"Well, now that our tactician is found, let us move forward," said Rath. "We've wasted enough time, and Lyn's grandfather is deathly ill. Because of your foolishness, we may be too late to see him."

Wow, way to be blunt, jerk.

Unfortunately, he was right. Our priority was getting to Caelin, and now, those last few hours could have been the difference between when Lyn's grandfather was alive and when he died. It's not the most comforting thing someone has said to me, that's for sure. I resolved then and there that I would not let anything else distract me from that goal.

Of course, my resolutions tend to not work out for very long.

We were passing close to the inn I was at before. Apparently, everyone had turned someplace earlier when I wasn't paying attention and I managed to walk ahead in the right direction, and then they remained there because they were looking for me. I love the irony of this situation.

"Where are we, Kent?" asked Lyn.

"This is Kathelet. If we head due south, we'll pass into Caelin," he replied.

"From here, I'd say we're about ten days' ride to Castle Caelin," said Sain. "Assuming we don't run into any delays, of course."

Lyn sighed. "Ten days..."

"Let's hope that everything's smooth sailing from now on," I said. "Wouldn't want something to happen that would make us have to stop."

Honestly, I should really just keep my big mouth shut. Right when I said that, someone came out of the inn. I recognized him as the boy with the flute from earlier, but I never got a chance to talk to him. He seemed more worried than he was earlier.

"Pardon me, but..." he panted.

"Yes? Can I help you?" asked Lyn.

"You and your friends... Are you mercenaries?" asked the boy.

Lyn raised an eyebrow. "And if we are?"

"I need your help!" he cried.

"Milady Lyndis, you musn't let your guard down. Not even for a child," said Kent, stepping next to her.

Lyn sighed. "I know." She turned to the boy. "Forgive me, but we're in a hurry. Is there someone else you can ask?"

"There's not time!" he shouted. "Ninian's been... It's my sister! Some men have taken her away!"

"Your sister?" asked Sain. Oh good, apparently this perks his interest. "Did you say your sister's been accosted?"

"Sain..." groaned Kent.

"Is your sister the dancer?" I asked him. "I saw you two earlier when I was here." When I mentioned that she was a dancer, I think Sain got even more excited. I'm glad I didn't mention that she was quite the looker as well.

"That's right!" the boy replied excitedly. "By some cruel, awful men. I don't know what I'll do without Ninian."

Sain turned to Lyn. "Milady Lyndis! We must help him!"

"Nonsense! We haven't the time!" Kent retorted. "If the marquess is as ill as we've heard, we must proceed!"

"Kent, I..." Lyn started. "I want to help this child."

"Milady?" asked Kent.

Lyn sighed. "I'm worried about my grandfather, of course. But this! I cannot stand by and let a child be taken from her home!"

Kent heaved a sigh of defeat, again. "I see..."

Lyn gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Kent."

Kent shook his head. "I'm your loyal retainer. You owe me no apologies. You must do as your heart dictates, milady. I will follow you, no matter where that may lead."

Lyn smiled at him. "Thank you." With that, Kent left to gather our group again.

"Hah! Such a noble speech!" laughed Sain. "Ever the true knight, that one! Ah, well." He turned to the boy. "You're in luck, laddie! Let's go get your sister!"

"Will you lead us to the men who've done this?" asked Lyn.

"Uh huh," the boy nodded. "They're really tough, so be careful."

Lyn smiled at this. "Leave them to us. We're pretty tough ourselves. Right, Sean?"

"Yeah, no problem," I replied. "We'll get your sister back in a jiff." Oh good, after I managed to delay us a few hours, we're back to me coming up with battle tactics. Great...

"Thank you so much," the boy smiled. Well, at least we're making the kid happy.

Right then, we were approached by a man wearing a cloth that covered his mouth, and he looked at the kid anxiously. The boy stepped back with a scared look on his face.

"Ah! Oh no..." he whispered.

"Heh heh heh, found him!" chuckled the masked man. "C'mon, it's back to Nergal with you! Quiet now."

"No! Let Ninian go!" shouted the boy.

He had what I think was a smirk under that mask. "We ain't supposed to kill you, but we sure can rough you up! Get 'em!"

Right then, Lyn jumped in and drew her sword, pointing it at the throat of the masked guy.

"Huh? Who do you think you are?" he demanded.

"Lyn!" exclaimed the kid.

"Let the boy's sister go," Lyn demanded with an angry voice.

The guy glared at her. "Ah... So you want to help the kid, huh? What a shame. You're gonna die for something that don't concern you."

"You think so, do you?" smirked Lyn. "Do we look so meek to you? I think you're in for a terrible shock!"

"Stupid girl..." muttered the man. "You'll regret those words. Take 'em down, boys!"

At that statement, many more men appeared around us. Well, I guess one guy would be too easy. The one nearest to us had a cloak on that covered nearly every part of his body, and, it may have been my imagination, but I think he had an eerie dark aura around him. That was sort of freaky.

"Looks like we're facing a shaman, Sean. I've heard that practitioners of the dark arts are fearsome foes," said Lyn. Oh, so apparently we were right then dealing with a guy who uses dark magic, like in that book series I loved so much. I just hoped that he didn't have the killing curse under his belt. "We'll have to be careful..." Lyn began, when someone tapped on her shoulder. She jumped a bit, and turned. "What?! Who are you?"

"Please forgive me," a familiar voice said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Is that you, Lucius?" I asked.

"Oh! Sean!" he smiled. "I see you've found your friends!"

"Yeah," I answered.

Lyn looked him over. "Your robes..." she began. "They look like religious vestiary. Are you an Elimine bishop?"

"Yes... Well, no," he chuckled. "I'm only an acolyte. An Elimine monk, to be specific. My name is Lucius." Oh, so apparently that wasn't a dress. Good job there, Sean. You're now officially an idiot.

"Do you have business with us?" asked Lyn.

"I was at the inn when this child came seeking help," he replied. "The innkeeper was afraid to get involved. He was... unpleasant."

The child in question shook his head. "I wasn't afraid of him! I'm used to being treated that way."

"That's awful," whispered Lyn.

"May I please lend you my services?" asked Lucius. "I truly wish to help the boy. If only a little."

"Of course," replied Lyn.

"Thank you very much," smiled Lucius. "The blessings of St. Elimine be upon you."

"My name is Nils!" the boy stated. "Thank you very much, Lucius! A monk will be very welcome when facing a shaman."

"Monk... Shaman..." I muttered to myself. "If a shaman uses dark magic, that must mean Elimine monks use light magic, which, I'm guessing, is strong against dark magic."

"That is correct," Lucius replied. "So I'm guessing you want me to attack that shaman?"

"Would you please?" I asked. Lucius smiled and began chanting something. The shaman did the same: an orb of darkness was conjured between his hands. He threw that dark orb at Lucius, but the monk had his own attack: Light began gathering around him, and he focused it to a point in front of him. Swinging his arm, the light fired forward, and canceled out the approaching dark orb. Then, the dispersed light fired at the shaman separately. The shaman let out a gasp of pain and then fell over.

"Wow, that looked cool," I said.

"Lightning," said Lucius. "One of the basic offensive Light magic techniques."

"That was basic?" I asked. "Damn, I wonder what advanced is then."

Rath fired an arrow at an archer that was aiming for me. I looked up to see the said archer fall.

"Pay attention, Sean!" shouted Rath. "You are our tactician! Do not take your eyes off the battlefield!"

"Right," I replied. Why did that jerk always have to be right?

"Sean!" shouted Wil. "I talked to the man in the inn. These aren't normal men! These are the Black Fang!"

"Who are they?" asked Lyn.

"I'm not quite sure," said Wil. "According to the innkeeper, anyone they tangle with winds up... well, you know."

"Sean, we need to keep moving," said Lyn. "What should we do?"

"I took a look around this area earlier," I said. "There are mountains to the south of us. I think only Florina can fly down there though."

"My sister is in the large abandoned fortress to the south of the mountains," said Nils. "I overheard some of the Black Fang members talking earlier."

"Really..." I thought out loud. I picked up a stick and began drawing something on the ground. The gears in my head began turning again. "Perfect. Alright everyone, your tactician has a plan!"

* * *

"Alright, everyone! Attack!" I shouted, riding on the back of Kent's horse. We had a full-on assault. Kent and Sain charged forward, crossing the hills and attacking the armed forces of the Black Fang.

They weren't the hard part, though. There were several shamans waiting for us once we crossed the hills.

"There are too many!" shouted Erk, conjuring a fireball and throwing it at a shaman.

"Press forward!" I shouted. "We have to reach that fortress!"

The assault continued. Wil and Rath played their part, firing at the shamans from a distance. Serra was close to all of us, healing when necessary. Lucius was with me, using Lightning to clear a path, and Kent and Sain were playing their part, taking out the armed Black Fang members, which surprisingly mostly consisted of axe-wielders.

Matthew and I made our way toward the fortress using the path that Lucius cleared. The thief was quite a bit faster than I was, and so he reached the fortress first. However, it wasn't so easy to get inside. Another shaman was blocking the way.

"Who are you supposed to be?" he asked. "Playing the heroes in some foolish knightly romance? You may think you're helping the children, but you're only rushing to your doom!"

"Let's see how doomed we are, then," smirked Matthew, jumping at the shaman. He dodged and began conjuring a dark orb and firing it at the thief. Matthew managed to barely avoid it, and the dark energy collided with one of the walls of the fortress, creating a large hole.

"Shit..." I muttered. "This guy isn't any ordinary shaman."

Matthew continued his assault, jumping at the shaman with his dagger in hand. He struck this time, but only because the shaman was preparing another attack, and fired it at the thief at point blank range. Matthew gasped in pain and was flung into a wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Is this the best you have?" asked the shaman, approaching me. "I will finish you off, brat!"

I looked at my friends, who were all still fighting the shamans. None of them could help me, I was on my own against this guy. And remember, I had no idea how to fight. So it was me against the shaman. And it was clear that he had the intention of killing me. I could feel my legs shaking in fear, and I silently prayed that this would not be the last time I would be able to feel my legs shaking in fear.

"Any last words?" asked the shaman, preparing his spell.

I took a look to the left for a second and smiled. "Just two," I replied. "FLORINA, NOW!"

The shaman looked confused... until a javelin flew from the west and struck him in the shoulder. He gasped in pain and looked to see Florina on her pegasus, with Lyn, Dorcas, and Nils running over a fallen tree to cross the river in the west.

"Your western flank was weak," I smiled. "So I had Florina here fly Lyn and Dorcas over the mountains to the river nearby. I heard that there was a dead snag over there, so while all your guys were concentrating on our ranks in the east, Dorcas and Lyn were chopping that thing down, making a bridge, and suddenly we've taken advantage of your lack of cronies on this side."

"N-No..." whispered the shaman.

"Let my sister go!" demanded Nils.

"Never," answered the shaman, preparing another attack. Dorcas took the chance to use his hand-axe, catching the shaman in his other shoulder and dissipating the attack. Lyn drew her Mani Katti and attacked the shaman, cutting across his chest. The blood was visible now, slowing covering his black robe.

"You were only... striking at air..." chuckled the dark mage. "You are too late... The girl is already..." And he died without finishing that sentence.

* * *

"Nils! Where's your sister?" asked Lyn.

"Ninian!" Nils shouted. "Ninian..." He ran around looking for her, but to no avail. "She's not here," he said. "Why? Where could she be?"

Kent rode into the fortress. "My lady Lyndis! A villager spotted a group of men riding south."

"The boy's dear sister... They must have her!" growled Sain, slamming his fist against his palm.

"Come! We must give chase!" said Lyn, making her way to the entrance.

"But... But... We won't make it! What if they've already..." said Nils. Tears were beginning to form in the boy's eyes.

"Nils, I'm sorry," I told him. "Maybe if we had arrived sooner..." And then realization dawned on me. It was my fault. If I hadn't been separated from everyone, if I hadn't been so damn ignorant of where my friends were, all of us would have been here sooner. This entire kidnapping could have been prevented. If I hadn't been such an idiot, this wouldn't have happened. I fell to my knees. "I'm so sorry, Ninian..." I whispered.

"Are you looking for this girl here?" a voice came from inside. I looked up to see a red-haired young noble in blue clothing, carrying the familiar dancer that I had seen earlier. She was okay.

"Ninian! Ninian!" exclaimed Nils, running over to them.

"She'll be fine," smiled the red-haired man. "She's just lost consciousness."

"Who are you?" asked Lyn.

"I'm Eliwood, of Pherae," he replied. "My father is the marquess."

"The marquess's son..." whispered Lyn.

"She was with a band of ruffians," said Eliwood. "She seemed upset. She looked in need of rescuing... Was I wrong to involve myself?"

Lyn shook her head, smiling. "No, you saved her life. Thank you. My name is Lyn. I'm from Sacae. I'm Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."

Eliwood paused and looked at her. "Marquess Caelin?"

"Yes, she's the daughter of the Lady Madelyn," I told him. "Actually, it's a pretty long story..."

"And you are?" he asked me.

"Oh! Sorry, forgot to introduce myself," I chuckled. "My name is Sean. I'm a tactician."

"A tactician? But you're so... young..." said Eliwood. Well, couldn't argue with that. Hell, I was only a tactician for little over a month.

"He's with me," said Lyn. "And don't let his age fool you. He has one of the most brilliant minds I have ever seen."

"Lyn..." I whispered. I'm pretty sure I was blushing at this point. She actually thought that I was brilliant? Even after I got myself lost for a few hours? I guess something like that wasn't enough for Lyn to stop believing in me.

"Anyway, tell me your story, Lyn," said Eliwood, putting Ninian down in a corner.

"My story?" asked Lyn. "Well, it began when I found Sean unconscious on the plains..."

* * *

"And that's my story," Lyn finished. "It's not an easy tale to believe, I know..."

Eliwood shook his head. "No. I do believe you."

Lyn looked surprised. "What?"

"At first glance, all I saw was a daughter of the plainsfolk," said Eliwood. "Now I can see it, though. You have your grandfather's eyes."

"Do you know my grandfather?" asked Lyn.

"The marquess, Lord Hausen, is my father's good friend," he replied. "I also know that the proud people of Sacae tell no lies. It's true, isn't it?"

Lyn looked even more surprised, shocked even. "Yes... Thank you. I would not have expected any Lycian noble to be so courteous to a Sacaean nomad."

Eliwood laughed a little. "You seemed to be in trouble. May I be of assistance?"

Lyn shook her head. "Thank you for your kind offer. This is my problem, though, and I'll deal with it."

"I see," said Eliwood. "I'll be in the area for a few days longer. If you need anything, please let me know. Lyndis, I'm on your side."

"Eliwood... Thank you," smiled Lyn. And with that, Lord Eliwood of Pharae took his leave, with me and Lyn watching. I looked over at Lyn.

"He's a nice guy," I said. Lyn just nodded. I sighed. I really hoped I didn't have another rival for her heart. It was enough with her dead fiance and that jerk Rath. Worst of all, unlike Rath, Eliwood was a guy I couldn't even bring myself to hate!

* * *

Ninian stirred a bit before opening her eyes. "Ninian! Are you awake?" asked Nils, kneeling next to her.

"Nils? Is it really you?" she whispered, and her eyes opened completely when she saw him. "Oh, you're safe!"

"Uh-huh," he smiled. "These people helped me."

"Who are they?" asked Ninian.

Lyn stepped forward. "I'm Lyn. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Ninian smiled at her. "Milady Lyn... Thank you. I'm called Ninian. My brother, Nils, and I are traveling performers."

"Both of you?" asked Lyn. "Your brother's a musician. How about you, Ninian?"

"I..." Ninian began, as if trying to find the right words. "I dance."

"What? Oh my... you're a dancer!" exclaimed Sain, jumping in between the two girls. Yeah, apparently he needed a reminder.

"Sain..." groaned Lyn. "Later, please."

"Um, yeah. Of course," Sain chuckled, moving away.

Lyn turned to Ninian. "A dancer? Your clothes don't look like those of a dancer."

Nils stepped in to answer her. "Ninian dances to honor life. It's special... Sacred."

"A sacred dance?" asked Lyn. "What does that mean?"

"I... The dance I perform when we travel is just a normal dance," she replied. "My other dance, though... When they caught me, I twisted my ankle. I cannot dance to aid you... I'm sorry."

"Please don't worry," said Lyn. "We're just happy to see that you're out of harm's way."

Ninian smiled. "Thank you."

"But I am concerned about your leg. You can't travel on it..." said Lyn.

"I've an idea," said Nils. "Would it be too much to ask that we travel with you?"

"I can't allow that!" exclaimed Lyn. "It's far too dangerous. We're being hunted. We never know when we're going to be attacked."

Nils smiled. "We wouldn't be a hindrance. We could even help you. Right, Ninian?"

Ninian nodded. "Yes. We might be able to repay our debt using our... special talents."

Was my mind just in the gutter or did that sound like an incredibly dirty euphemism?

"Special abilities?" asked Lyn.

"When something poses a threat to us, we can sense its approach," Ninian answered. Okay, my mind was definitely in the gutter. Really shouldn't be thinking of those things here.

Lyn seemed excited. "Truly? That's amazing!"

"We can feel it coming, but we can't do anything to stop it. You're warriors, though, so you don't have that worry."

Lyn looked at Kent. "What do you think, Kent?"

The red knight sighed. "I think leaving them here would cause Lady Lyndis more worry than having them travel with us."

Lyn turned to our other favorite knight. "Sain?" She paused a second. "Oh, never mind. I know what your answer is." The poor guy had just opened his mouth to speak before she interrupted. I stifled a laugh. Lyn looked at the two siblings. "Do you really want to travel with us?"

"Of course!" smiled Nils.

"You have our gratitude, milady," said Ninian, bowing.

"Well, I guess we've got some more members in our happy group," I said. And Sain seemed ecstatic for another female, and a dancer no less. Couldn't say I was complaining either.

* * *

"Oh..." whispered Ninian after we were all packed to leave.

Nils looked at her. "What's wrong, Ninian?"

"I've lost my ring," she answered.

"Your ring?" asked Lyn.

Nils looked scared. "Not Ninis's Grace?"

"The very one," replied Ninian.

Nils' scared look changed to an angry one. "They stole it? Those curs!!!"

"Was it valuable?" asked Lyn.

Ninian nodded. "It was a keepsake from our departed mother."

"It was blessed by the spirit of Ninis..." said Nils. "There's no other like it in the world. And now we have lost it to those villains. There's nothing we can do."

Ninian sighed, and it was easy to tell that tears were beginning to form. "You're right..."

Lyn walked over to me. "Can I talk to you, Sean?" she whispered, pulling me to the side.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You heard all of that, right?" she asked. "What do you think? I'd really love to retrieve Ninian's ring for her. But if Nils is right, those thieves might prove to be too strong for us. What should we do?"

"Well..." I thought for a second. The logical choice would be to just press on to Caelin rather than leap into the jaws of the enemy for a ring. We had already wasted a lot of time with this, and Lord Hausen was still really sick. But I didn't want to see Nils and Ninian like this either. And Lyn didn't seem to want to let them just take the ring. It was their departed mother's keepsake, and I figured that she was sympathizing with that, having lost her own mother earlier. "...Let's go after that ring," I finished. Lyn's smile brightened.

"You want to help them? That's great! I was hoping you'd say that, Sean," she exclaimed, giving me a quick hug and then turning to the two knights. "Kent! Sain! Those men were headed south. We must give pursuit!"

Sain smiled. "On your word, milady!"

Lyn turned to me. "There's no turning back now. Let's ride!"

"What have I done..." I groaned inwardly. Well, off we went, into the jaws of the Black Fang.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_Well, there goes the end of one really, really long chapter. A lot of things happened here, including the introduction of the Black Fang, and the brief appearance of another one of my original characters: Darius. He's just kind of in this chapter for no real reason, but he will become important later on... but enough with the spoilers._

_Review!_


	9. Chapter 7x: The Black Shadow

_A/N: Alright, a side story chapter! Though, you'll find that this side story isn't as much a side story as the game side story was. The only thing I'm going to say is that there's going to be some foreshadowing of events in the future, which was what brought Sean to Elibe in the first place. And there's the spoiler of the week._

_Enjoy!  
_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 7x: The Black Shadow

"I think they went in here," said Lyn as we reached the entrance to the castle. Matthew had found out where the Black Fang was most likely headed: a large abandoned castle in southwest Kathelet. Since then, we had trekked for half a day before finally reaching the stronghold. And it was really well defended. I could hear the men inside, and there were many. Sain and Kent had headed inside earlier to see what we were up against.

"Milady, are you really going in there to get the ring back?" asked Nils.

"Yes, we are," nodded Lyn.

"But this is their stronghold!" he exclaimed. "They're bound to be well defended, not to mention well armed!"

"Please forget about the ring," said Ninian. "It's okay..."

Lyn smiled. "Sean's agreed to attempt this... recovery. I wouldn't be here if not for that. Sean believes we can do this. I'm sure that decision was not made lightly. With Sean at my side, I'm confident we can win. Let's get your ring back, Ninian."

"Lyn..." I whispered. Pretty sure I was blushing at this point.

"Milady..." Nils trailed off, while Ninian remained silent. Lyn had a confident smile on and made her way inside.

"She has very much faith in you, Sean," said Ninian. "You must be a very talented tactician if Lady Lyndis believes in you so much."

"You must be proud that she puts so much trust in you," said Nils.

"Um... Well..." I began. I think I was still blushing, and for some reason, I couldn't find the words that I wanted to come out of my mouth. I couldn't tell them that I wasn't really a tactician. And yet, Lyn trusted me so much that she wouldn't attempt something without consulting me first. I could barely live with myself if I couldn't trust her as well.

I knew that I had to tell her everything.

* * *

"Lyn, I think I'm finally ready to tell you this," I said. "I'm not really a tactician. I'm not even from Elibe. My name is Sean Masters, and I'm a teenager from another world, and was sent here by a man who wanted me to use my brain to save this world." I paused, taking a breath. That was it. I knew now that I could say everything and all I needed to do was wait for a response.

Too bad the tree wasn't very responsive.

I wasn't actually telling Lyn this yet. It was more of a practice session in order to get my words straight, since my brain never seemed to work when I wanted to say something to her anyway. I figured that it was the best chance I had.

"S-Sean?" a voice came from behind me. I turned and saw Florina looking at me with a frightened face. "Lyn wanted me to come and get you, but... i-is what you said true?"

Oh crap. "Florina, how much did you hear?" I asked her.

"Th-That you're not r-really a tactician, and that you're from another world," she said shyly. Great. Why did I have to talk to the stupid tree? "Sean... Lyn doesn't know, does she?"

I sighed. "She doesn't..." I replied. "Florina, please, can this be our little secret? I want to be the one to tell her."

"But, I-I don't want everyone to be in danger..." she whispered. I walked over to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"You'll be fine," I told her. "I wasn't a tactician when I first met Lyn. But, we're all fine, right? I'm learning, and believe me, Florina. I don't want any of you hurt. You're all my friends, and I need you all to trust me. So, please Florina, let this be our secret?"

Florina looked at me, and I could tell that she was about to cry. "S-Sean... I can't... I don't know... Lyn is my best friend. I can't lie to her."

"Florina..." I begged. "We've gone through a lot together, right? You don't need to lie. Just don't mention this to anyone. I'll tell her myself when the time is right. Can you do that for me?"

"I-I guess..." she replied. "But, Sean... Lyn believes in you. She would follow you to the end of the world. It's not fair to her if you don't tell her this."

"I know," I sighed. "I'll tell her everything after this battle is over. We're against the Black Fang right now, so I'll need no doubts in anyone's minds about my strategies."

"Y-Yes," Florina replied. "Oh! Lyn wanted me to get you! We should go inside!"

"Right," I nodded.

* * *

After Kent and Sain returned, I got a better idea of what the inside of the castle looked like.

"Okay, so there are two narrow corridors," I repeated. "There may be a lot of them, but, like Kent said, that won't matter as much if we can force them into one-on-one combat. We'll use these narrow corridors to our advantage. Kent and Sain, you two will lead separate groups into these corridors."

"It shall be done," said Kent.

"Erk, you follow Kent, and Lucius, you go with Sain," I told them. "Back them up with your magic, but don't stray ahead of them. They can take hits, you can't."

"Understood," nodded Erk. Lucius just nodded.

"Following them will be Wil and Rath," I continued. "You two, back up the mages, and keep your eyes open. With this kind of place, for all we know, the enemy could have some secret door to the side and break through from there."

"Got it," they both replied.

"Dorcas and Lyn, you two will be last," I told them. "If there is an enemy from behind, it's your job to take care of them."

"Right," nodded Dorcas, joining Kent's group. Lyn joined Sain's.

"Serra, you choose one group and stick with it," I told her. She nodded, running over to Erk, who groaned. I stifled a laugh, but continued. "Chances are we're going to need a healer. The other group should keep vulneraries handy. We don't want anyone dying. There will be a lot of enemies. Got that?"

"Yes," answered everyone.

"Wait! What about us?" asked Matthew. "Florina and I aren't going?"

"And Ninian and I are still here," said Nils.

"Alright, here's the thing," I told them. "Ninian can't walk very well. She'll be in danger if she goes with the rest of the group. I know that Nils doesn't want to be separated from her, though. Matthew, Florina, I'm counting on you two to watch over them. Take care of any Black Fang Members that come in through the entrance."

"I-I understand," replied Florina.

"Tsk, giving us the boring job," sighed Matthew. "Very well. We'll keep watch over these two."

"Thank you, Sean," said Ninian.

"It's no problem," I replied, proud that I had come up with this strategy. I was getting better at this, and, when saying it, our battle strategy seemed pretty solid. I couldn't think of a better way to put things.

"Shall we go then?" asked Lyn.

"Alright, guys! Move in!" I shouted.

* * *

"Earghh..." grumbled the final man after Lyn stabbed him.

Well, it was a solid plan. We had made our way into the castle, and the formation was well-kept. Kent and Sain did their parts with their lances, and Erk and Lucius managed to take down quite a few surprise attackers. Wil and Rath were able to notice certain Black Fang members breaking through walls, and acted accordingly. Lyn and Dorcas were pretty good at protecting the rear, even though surprisingly few people came from there. Eventually, the corridors merged and we were all together again, leaving behind a large trail of Black Fang members. We made our way to the end of the corridor, joined our two groups together again, and marched forward, taking down more members before reaching the supposed leader. A few hits and he was down for the count.

"Something bothers me about this whole situation," I said, looking at the man. "My plan wasn't _that _good. It's almost like someone's been getting lazy on us."

"Bah, you're probably imagining things," smiled Matthew. Our thief couldn't sit still for very long so he broke down a weak wall and robbed a treasure chest. Good thing too, because apparently there was someone in another room preparing to ambush us. They ended up with a dagger in their back, courtesy of Matthew.

"Aaah... No... I... I cannot..." coughed the man, clutching the shoulder that Lyn stabbed him on.

"Give us the ring!" Lyn demanded. "And swear us this oath... You must promise to leave these two alone. If I have your vow, I'll spare your life..."

The man had what looked like a tiny smirk on his face as he took out a vial. "Failure... means death..." he said, before downing the contents of the small container. He fell over, dead.

"What?! Poison?" gasped Lyn. "He took his own life..."

"These are no common brigands we're dealing with," Kent noted. "This man was trained by a well-organized group."

"What do they want with Nils and Ninian?" asked Lyn, looking at our two newest companions. The brother and sister didn't want to look us in the eye and remained silent. Lyn gave them an assuring smile. "Nils, Ninian. Everything's going to be fine. As long as you're with us, you'll be safe."

"But..." Nils began.

"You witnessed our victory, right?" smiled Lyn. "With Sean's planning and my sword, you've no worries. If we all work together, there's nothing we can't overcome. I don't care who comes after you; I'll not let you be taken."

"Really?" asked Nils.

"Yes, on my honor," Lyn replied, turning toward me. "Right, Sean?"

"Er... Yeah," I answered. "We're a good team."

"Milady..." Ninian began. Lyn seemed to remember something and pulled a ring from her satchel.

"Oh, yes... This is yours," she said, handing the small gray ring to Ninian.

Ninian's eyes brightened. "Ah... It's..."

"You called it Ninis's Grace, did you not?" asked Lyn. "That lout had it."

Nils jumped excitedly and hugged Lyn. "Milady Lyndis! Thank you so much!"

Ninian just smiled, putting the ring on. "I have no other words, save thank you."

And with that, our little excursion with the Black Fang ended. Yet, something was really, really bothering me. It seemed too easy. We had a harder time facing off against the Ganelon bandits than we did against some of these Black Fang members. Even their leader didn't take too many hits to beat, and it seemed that they still wanted Nils and Ninian for some reason.

Something just wasn't right, though I couldn't figure it out at the time.

* * *

"Man, after a hard day's battle, a hot bath is just what I needed!" I sighed, slipping into the water and relaxing. We had stopped by a nearby hot springs area to relax after the battle before setting off again for Caelin. And boy, was it relaxing.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" I asked into the mist. There was no response. "Guys?"

"They're not here," a familiar voice answered. A figure stepped out from the mist, revealing itself to me.

"L-Lyn?!" I stammered. Okay, now my brain was definitely going to malfunction from the heat. "Wh-Wha..."

"I sent them to the other hot spring," she said coyly. "It's just you and me... together..."

"Ga-Gah...." I tried making comprehensible words but my mouth wasn't responding. Here was Lyn, the beautiful girl I'd been traveling with since I arrived in Elibe, and she was coming onto me... in a hot spring... without clothing... "L-L-Lyn... I..."

She came close to me and moved her face a mere inch from mine. "Sean..." she whispered, tracing my jawline. "I've wanted this for a long time..." Seduction was dripping from every word. I couldn't move, I was paralyzed by it. And yet, it was happening. She caressed my face and moved her lips closer to mine. Closer... closer...

* * *

"Wake up, Sean..."

The voice snapped me out of my dream. That's right, my dream. I was ashamed of how low my mind had fallen. What the hell kind of dream was that?! What I was feeling then was something far beyond mere disappointment, but honestly, I should've expected it. Lyn wasn't the type of girl who...

I then realized that it wasn't Lyn telling me to wake up. I tried getting up, but I felt I couldn't move. I finally opened my eyes, and realized I wasn't at the campsite. I was in a dark room.

"Ah, he's finally come to," the voice said. I looked up to see two people standing at the door. One was a beautiful woman, with short blue hair and long bangs flowing past her shoulders. The other was someone a bit more familiar...

"Darius?" I asked.

"Ah, you recognize me," the firey-haired gentleman smiled. I tried moving, but realized my arms were tied behind my back by some strong rope. "Did you have a pleasant dream?"

"Don't really wanna talk about it," I muttered. "Where am I? Where are my friends?"

"Your friends are fine," smiled the woman. "We're merely offering a trade. You, their tactician, for their musician and dancer."

"What?" I asked. "No! Leave Nils and Ninian alone!"

"A simple barter, really," smirked Darius. "You are important to them, and the siblings are important to us. After we found where you were staying, it simply took one quick use of Ursula's Sleep staff to knock you out cold."

"You followed us and found our campsite?" I asked. "This doesn't make sense. Why go through the trade? Why didn't you just take Nils and Ninian while you were there?"

"It was Darius' suggestion," said the woman who was presumably Ursula. "He wanted to make you an offer."

"Yes," he said. "I watched your battle today. I had a small number of soldiers in that castle to see how you would fare against them."

"I knew something was weird," I muttered. "If it was really your stronghold, there would've been a lot more of them, and a plan like mine wouldn't have gone without a hitch."

He smiled. "Sean, you have a brilliant mind. But, it is undisciplined. Untrained. Your battle strategies may have worked on simple bandits in the mountains, but they will not hold against the likes of the Black Fang, or even the assassins of Lord Lundgren."

"How did you know about all that?" I asked.

"I've been watching you since you were crossing Taliver Mountain," he chuckled. "I was there to quell an uprising of the Taliver bandits, who were inching dangerously close to the borders of Bern. You see, I am Bern's most prized tactician, Lord Darius."

"You're a tactician?" I asked, surprised. I thought for a second and sighed. I shouldn't have been surprised, he was so damn good at chess.

"I had managed to use a few of Bern's forces and dealt a crushing blow to the numbers of the Taliver, and was heading home. And I found you, at an abandoned fortress, leading your small band of mercenaries against a large hoarde of the Ganelon bandits, utilizing everything at your disposal to your advantage, including a newly recruited ally from the opposing forces. You intrigued me, and so I watched over you."

"That's why we never ran into any Taliver," I realized. "You had already taken care of them!"

"Precisely," Darius answered. "So, I am making you an offer, Sean. Join the Black Fang, and I will let your friends go free. I, Darius the Black Shadow, will take you in as my apprentice. Your skills will be unmatched once you have finished your training, and you will become my successor as the greatest tactical mind that Elibe has ever seen!"

"You want me to join you, while you take Nils and Ninian?" I demanded. "And if I refuse?"

"You are in an underground chamber in Kathelet's abandoned fortress," Ursula replied for him. "No matter how much you scream, no one will find you."

"My offer stands, Sean," said Darius. "You will remain here until you decide to accept it. Or until you die, whichever comes first."

"Lyn and everyone won't accept a trade if I'm dead," I told him. "And they've beaten your Black Fang guys already! It's a big mistake to underestimate how strong they are!"

"No, Sean, I believe it is you who is mistaken," said Darius. "The Black Fang forces in Lycia are among the weakest of our entire group. And you may want to know, that Lady Ursula could single-handedly destroy all of them with her magic. Your friends will not survive a battle against her."

"Bastard..." I spat. "I won't let you take them! I'll die first!"

"We'll see," smiled Darius. "Your friends are already on their way here. If you still have not joined us willingly by the time they arrive, Ursula's magic will do its job. Rest assured, Sean, we _will _have Nils and Ninian. The question is, will your friends have their lives?"

And with that, Darius and Ursula made their way out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

Well, I sure found myself in a predicament. Good god, just before waking up, I was having a nice dream about... well, now I was tied up, sitting in a room in the castle that we just got out of, and now Lyn and everyone were on their way here to rescue me. And possibly die against that pretty lady's magic. Damn it...

At this point, I was considering my options. Darius had made two of them very clear: either stay in here, accept their offer, let them take Nils and Ninian, and let Lyn and everyone leave on their merry way to Caelin; or stay in here, not accept their offer, let them take Nils and Ninian, and let Lyn and everyone die on their merry way to rescue me. Since both of these options involved the Black Fang taking Nils and Ninian, neither of them seemed like a good choice.

There's also the fact that both options involved me staying there, so I considered a third option: escape from here, not accept their offer, get Nils and Ninian away from here, and let Lyn and everyone leave on their merry way to Caelin. Yeah, definitely a better option than the two offered to me. Unfortunately, that option involved me escaping from this underground chamber, which was going to be hard.

So, step one, get the heck out of that hole in the ground. To do that, it would be much easier if I didn't have my arms tied behind my back. It took a bit of doing, but I managed to push my whole body through the space between my arms, so that my arms were in front. Good, now I could see the rope. I moved near the light coming from the barred window on the door, which was the only source of light I had, and looked at the rope. It was tied fairly tightly, but I was able to see some of the haphazard knotting in it. I began doing what I could with my arms and my teeth, loosening the ropes. It took a few minutes, but soon enough, the haphazard knotting was undone, and I was able to slip out.

I looked around to see if there was anything I could use to get out. They told me I was underground, so there was no way I could jump from a window. It was then I heard some banging overhead, possibly the sound of rain. I put my ear to the wall and heard rushing water.

"A sewer system," I realized. "And that means that there's a way outside from underground." It was only on the other side of the wall. I ran over to the door and pressed my ear against it to see if I could hear anyone. Well, turns out, I did.

"Darius, why do you insist on keeping that boy in here?" I heard Ursula's voice say. "You ignored the chance to retrieve the two targets of the Black Fang in order to have the targets come for this... child! You realize that Lord Nergal will not be happy with this!"

"I do," answered Darius. "But think of things this way. Had I taken the two, they would be difficult to keep. Considering that Nils and Ninian had escaped from us once before, it is highly probable that they could escape again. The fact that our strongest members have business elsewhere in the next few weeks requires us to depend on the Lycian division of the Black Fang to take care of them. And frankly, they have not had a high enough success rate, especially against the friends of Sean, for me to believe that they can hold on to the two long enough to transport them to Lord Nergal. That problem is solved if they come with us willingly. Sean is important to that group, and Nils and Ninian would most definitely give themselves up if it were to come to a trade agreement. In this way, Lord Nergal has the two children, and I have a potential apprentice."

"Must you have an answer to everything, my love?" I heard Ursula's voice purr.

"I shall have an answer to _that _in my chamber, my darling," Darius replied coyly, and I heard the two of them walk away.

Aside from the rather disturbing image of what that answer was going to be, I gathered quite a bit from Darius' way of thinking. He didn't seem to have much faith in their Lycian division, and the strongest members of the Black Fang were going to be away from Lycia for the time being. That meant that we would have no more run-ins with them for a while, and would be able to bring the two siblings to safety. All I had to do was get out of there.

I looked to see what I could work with and began my escape plan.

* * *

"Go warn Lord Darius and Lady Ursula! The prisoner has escaped!"

"Y-Yes!" the black fang member replied, running off. I smirked and ran in the opposite direction. An unknowing mage had walked by the door. I was standing on a stool holding the rope between the barred window, which I managed to loop around his neck while he was walking by, choking him. I jumped off of the stool, and as the rope moved further into the room, it pulled the tighter against the door, and choked him. I heard the guy gasping for air, and then pound against the door. Suddenly, the door blasted open with the mage's magic. I let go of the rope, allowing the poor guy to crumple to the ground, and for me to knock him out with the stool. I quickly took off my green cloak and took his red hood and cape and wrapped it over myself, signifying I was one of their mages. I took his Fire tome and left him inside, folding my green cloak and hiding it under my arm, and then hid him behind the corner. I bumped into an unknowing axeman on my way out, and to cover up for it, gave the command, buying me some time to escape.

I found my way to the sewer, keeping in mind where I heard the water from before, and ran alongside the water flow, hoping that it would lead me outside. I was out of breath after about ten minutes of this.

"I am so going to the gym if I ever get back home," I muttered to myself.

After a long run, I heard something from behind me. Next thing I knew, a fireball flew over my head and hit the ground in front of me. I stopped in my tracks and looked back to see several mages and a few swordsmen. Oh awesome, and I was out of freakin' breath too.

I kept running, turning corner after corner in order to try to lose them. No luck. I finally made my way toward the exit, and I could taste the fresh air. Thank goodness. The sewer didn't smell very good. However, those guys were all still behind me.

"Crap," I panted as I reached the exit. With nothing to lose, I took the Fire tome I stole. "Alright, here goes." I read the chant in the tome, hoping that I could at least defend myself. Well, something unexpected happened.

The book began glowing red and heating up.

"Yow!" I shouted, dropping the book. Bad move. It began shaking violently. I sighed. "Oh, this won't end we-"

**_BOOM!_**

The tome exploded, blowing me clear out of the exit. I was like a pathetic, screaming doll until I hit the ground with a grunt. My red mage disguise was in flames, I'm pretty sure I had second-degree burns all over my body, and I hit the ground pretty hard so I had a bit of a concussion and a lot of bruises. On the bright side, the walls of the sewer exit began to crumble from the blast, and sealed the Black Fang's way to me. At least I was out of there.

"Heh, well, I guess that worked out..." I coughed, throwing off the flaming red mage's cloak, and letting the cool rain hit my face. "Man, I'm glad that's over." I got up slowly, wincing in pain at every tiny movement.

Stupid burns.

"I'd stay still if I were you," a voice came from behind me.

"Crap..." I muttered, turning to see a shaman readying a dark energy orb. I also saw several axemen, archers, and swordsmen behind the shaman. "Don't you think this is overkill?" I asked.

"You were cunning enough to escape our prison," said the shaman. "You will not be allowed to escape from us again."

"Heh, is it too late for us to be friends?" I chuckled nervously.

"Begging for your life, boy?" smirked the shaman. Damn it, I wasn't built for taking a blast of dark magic right after being burned and bruised. I sighed, maybe this was the end. So much for my destiny to save Elibe. All I had done up to this point was mess up. I was never trained to be a tactician, I was a chess player, and as far as I could tell, that was all Professor Dumas knew when he sent me here in the first place. And my friends, only Florina knew about me, and only because she overheard me. I never talked about myself to any of them. And they still trusted me.

"Don't you dare hurt him."

I smelled the familiar scent of grass and fresh-cut flowers, and turned to see Lyn leap into battle with her Mani Katti, stabbing the shaman in the chest. He coughed up blood and fell backward. The other fighters were about to charge in, but were stopped by a hail of arrows, axes, fire, and light magic. I looked to see Wil, Dorcas, Erk, and Lucius be the source of the hail that saved my life.

"Sean! Are you alright?" asked Lyn, kneeling down next to me. "Oh dear, you're injured!"

"Ironically, most of these were self-inflicted," I chuckled, but then coughed. "But I managed to get out. I'm glad you're here."

"You've escaped the castle," she whispered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Oh, Mother Earth and Father Sky, I am so happy that you're okay. I didn't know what to do when we heard about how the Black Fang took you."

"I can tell you what you can do right now," I said. "If you brought Nils and Ninian for a trade, get them out of here. Actually, all of us should get out of here, right now. One of their strongest mages is in that castle, and she's not one that I think we can handle."

"Very well," said Lyn, helping me up. I was completely in pain all over, but having Lyn there helped a lot. "We'll make our way back to camp and leave Kathelet immediately."

"Alright," said Wil. "Let's move out!"

And with that, we made our way away from the castle that I had spent way too much time in that day. Away from the Black Fang. Away from Darius the Black Shadow. But I knew that in the near future, our paths would inevitably cross again, with the Black Fang after Nils and Ninian, and Darius wanting me as an apprentice. But at that moment, I was just happy to be with my friends again.

* * *

"Whew, I'm tired out," sighed Serra, putting down her healing staff. "You're fine now, Sean."

"Thanks a lot, Serra," I replied, moving my arm. I was sitting on the bed while Serra was healing me for the two hours after my severe injuries from escaping the Black Fang. "You can go get some rest now."

"I'm glad to be of service, Tactician Sean," she smiled, walking out of the tent. She may be really annoying, but boy, was I glad she was there. Those burns would've been at least a few weeks of pain had we not had a cleric with us.

"You had us worried, Sean," said Kent. "It is good to see that you are alright."

"Honestly, though, I am impressed," laughed Sain. "Our small, feeble tactician escaping the clutches of the mighty Black Fang!"

"You really have a way with words, Sain," I told him. We all shared a laugh when Lyn walked into the tent.

"Sean?" she asked, and saw Sain and Kent. Sain gave Kent a nod and both of them walked out, leaving me and Lyn alone. I found a new respect for those two Lycian knights. "You look much better," said Lyn.

"Yeah, I'm really happy that Serra joined our group," I replied. "Sorry if I worried you."

Lyn responded to that by punching me in the gut. I yelped and doubled over in pain. Dang, that girl had one heck of a punch. "Wh-What was that for?" I gasped. She responded to that by hugging me tightly.

"That was for worrying me," she whispered. "You promised that you wouldn't do that again."

"Wasn't really something that was under my control," I replied with a wheeze. It was hard to enjoy her touch when my stomach felt like it collapsed on itself. This was the girl I had chosen to fall for. Go me.

"I'm beginning to think this was all a mistake," said Lyn. "Maybe we shouldn't have left Sacae. I've caused you so much trouble."

"Hey, don't talk like that," I told her. "There was no way you could've known that this would happen. We've already established that I'm fine, right?"

"Yes, but-" Lyn began.

"We can't go back to Sacae, Lyn," I interrupted. "We've retrieved a magic sword, crossed mountains, and fought off bandits and assassins, all so we can see your last remaining family. We're close now, Lyn. You can't gain anything by wondering what you should or shouldn't have done. Our best option is to keep moving forward." Holy crap, I said all of that?! That was the most vocabulary I've been able to throw into a conversation with Lyn! And she was hugging me as well!

"Sean..." she whispered, pulling back so she was looking at me. Her face began inching closer to mine, and I'm pretty sure I was blushing like mad here from anticipation. This was it! I was going to get a kiss, like in my dream! Just a little closer... closer...

And then I felt something drop onto my lap. Yeah, it really was like my dream: interrupted at the best part. I picked up her locket, which had fallen off of her neck and onto my leg. One side of it had the name 'LYN' engraved on it, and the other one had the name 'KAL'. As I read it, Lyn pulled back and snatched it from my hand.

"Sean... I'm sorry," she apologized quickly and ran out the tent, with what looked like tears forming a shimmering trail in the air behind her.

"Lyn, wait!" I tried calling her back, but she was already gone. I sighed heavily and fell backward onto the bed. I was so close! But, of course, fate had to put that locket into my lap, and remind her of her old love. Apparently someone out there didn't want me to be with Lyn.

Kal, you were one lucky bastard.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_A/N: Hey, couldn't let them get together already, right? Nah, that's gonna wait for a while. I also realized that I had barely mentioned Kal since Chapter 3, so I thought I'd put him in again. A lot of stuff happened in this chapter apart from that last bit, though._

_Escaping the Black Fang. This is where I worry the most about Gary Stu-ness. Again, Sean is still just an ordinary, albeit incredibly smart, teenager, but he has latent tactical ability, which was picked up by Darius. I named him Darius the Black Shadow after the title of the chapter, realizing that, in that entire part of the game, there was no reference to a Black Shadow, apart from the Black Fang itself. I thought that and his relationship with Ursula would be a nice touch to his character._

_Honestly, this chapter was giving me writer's block. I mean, there was the usage of the corridors in the level to bring the fight to one-on-one, but how far could that go? So, instead of making the battle the whole chapter, I pushed it toward the very beginning, and had several of my own subplots thrown in, including the fact that Sean still hasn't told Lyn about his origins. Plus, I took the chance to throw in an awkward dream, heheheh._

_Again, not going to deviate from the main story. Just going to add to it._

_Review!_


	10. Chapter 8: Vortex of Strategy

_A/N: Late Update! Had a bit of writer's block for a while and then didn't have access to the internet for a while, but now Chapter 8 is up! Enjoy!  
_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 8: Vortex of Strategy

After two long days of walking, we had finally made it. We had faced bandits, henchmen, and assassins to get here, but it was finally over. We had finally arrived in Caelin, and from here, we should just have been able to go see Lyn's grandfather and then this journey would be over.

Of course, that night in the tent was still on my mind, and I could tell it was still in Lyn's as well. We had almost kissed, but it seemed that she was still in love with her previous fiance. That, or she felt guilty about liking me when it was only because me reminding her of him. Either way, she had pulled back and left me alone. This was all after I ran away from Darius and the Black Fang, suffering a lot of injuries in the process. Yeah, that night really sucked.

Plus there was the fact that I _still_ hadn't told her about not being an actual tactician. She knew so little about who I really was, and yet I knew all about her, including her dead fiance, whose locket she still keeps around her neck.

"Look Sean!" said Lyn, pointing toward the direction from which we came. "The mountains seem so far away now. We've come such a long way..."

"Yeah," I answered. "Listen Lyn, there's something I need to te-"

"Milady Lyndis! Sean!" called Sain. Did I ever mention the impeccable timing of our group? "We can't be far from the castle now!"

"By my reckoning, we can reach Castle Caelin in two days if we hurry," said Kent.

"Two days, huh?" I replied. "That's good. That means we're almost there, right?"

"Two more days..." whispered Lyn, closing her eyes. "Hold on, Grandfather. Please..."

"Cheer up, Lyn," said Florina. "If they see you looking so sad, the entire company will lose heart."

"Florina..." said Lyn, looking at her. She smiled. "You're right. There's nothing to be gained by worrying. We just have to press onward." I smiled at this. It was similar to what I said to her that night in the tent.

"That's the spirit!" smiled Florina. I had to admit, I was glad that we found her in the mountains that day. She was someone that Lyn was truly able to talk to. She had also kept her promise to me, and hadn't told her about what she heard me say before we faced the Black Fang.

"Alright, everyone, we press onward!" shouted Kent, leading the rest of our band of mercenaries toward the Castle. Lyn and I followed from behind.

"Sean, you were about to say something before Sain interrupted," said Lyn. She looked away from me for a second and continued in a quiet voice. "Is it about that night?"

Yeah, that near-kiss was definitely still on her mind. "Actually, Lyn, it's-"

"Lyn... Danger approaches..." said Nils, walking near us. Like I said, impeccable timing. Wait, did he say danger?

"What did you say?" asked Lyn.

Sain looked around. "I don't see anything. Are you sure?"

"I feel it, too. I'm sure of it," said Ninian, with her eyes closed. There was a short pause, and then her eyes flew open suddenly. "Ah! Milady, don't move!"

"Why?" I asked.

"Hm?" asked Lyn, stopping where she was. Just then, a large iron bolt flew over us and landed a few inches in front of Lyn, embedding itself into the ground.

"Oh, that's why," I whistled. "Thanks for the heads up, you two."

Lyn looked shocked. "What in--Where did this bolt come from?"

"They have a ballista!" shouted Kent.

Sain growled. "Lord Lundgren is getting serious. Deploying siege engines is no mean feat."

"What is a ballista?" asked Lyn.

"It's a weapon designed for long-distance attacks," Kent explained. "Only archers can use them, but they can be devastating."

"No kidding," I said, looking at the bolt. I knelt down next to it to get a better idea of where it came from. "Judging by the angle that this bolt has embedded itself in the ground and its apparent trajectory, and taking the small bit of wind into account, I'd say that that ballista is..." I used my arm as a reference line to see where the trajectory was. "...behind that mountain."

"Florina! You must stay aground!" shouted Sain. "Do not take to the air! The ballista would target you in an instant."

"Is there a way to combat it?" asked Lyn.

Kent nodded. "The safest course is to use someone with good defense as bait, so the enemy wastes arrows."

"Then you can walk up and knock the fool on the head," Sain finished.

Lyn turned to our archer. "Wil, can you use a ballista?"

"I've never tried, but... It's just a really big bow, right?" he asked. "I should be able to figure it out."

"All we can ask is that you try..." smiled Lyn. "Let's see what we can do!"

"Someone with good defense..." I looked around, and sighed. There wasn't much hope there, we didn't have any heavily armored units in our group. "Okay, let's think of this another way," I said to Kent. "The point is to have the enemy waste ammo, right?"

"That is correct," said Kent. "Typically, ballistae are equipped with a maximum of five or six bolts. The sheer force of firing these bolts does a great deal of damage to the ballista itself, and so typically it needs some repairing right after firing all of them."

"Then that particular ballista has only four or five bolts left," I said. "Assuming there is only one. But like you said, it's not easy to deploy siege weaponry against a small group like ours, right?" I turned to our pegasus knight. "Florina, until we can guarantee that there are no more ballistae in the area, you should stay back here, where its safe."

"I understand," said Florina.

"Ninian, you stay with Florina," I told her. "You were a great help back there warning Lyn of the ballista. I want you to do the same for Florina."

"Yes," she answered.

"And the point is to have the ballista keep missing us," I said. "Matthew, you're the fastest of all of us, so you can reach it faster than all of us with the least risk of getting hit."

"Actually," he chuckled. "Ah, Lady Lyndis! Sean! I have some minor... business... to attend to. I'm unable to join you."

"Business? What business?" I asked.

"I'll be going over to that village over there," he said. "I'll return soon!"

"But what business?" I asked again.

"Good luck!" he called, running toward the village.

"You haven't answered my... never mind..." I sighed. It was so hard to get people to listen to me that day.

"If we attack the ballista full force, I'm sure we'll take it," suggested Serra.

"Sending our entire group against a single enemy is just not practical," I told her. "Plus the larger the target the more likely it gets a hit. We don't want any of you to get hit, meaning that there's got to be a small group attacking the ballista while the rest of us needs to stay clear out of range of it."

"So, who's attacking the ballista?" asked Sain.

Good question. This was going to take some thought.

* * *

We made our way across the bridge, with Sain and Kent leading the charge. They softened up the lot of everyone up front while Dorcas and Lucius attacked from behind, and the rest of us stayed in between, and all of us were far enough from the mountain to not be hit by the ballista. My plan seemed to be working until...

"Hold, Sir Kent! Sir Sain!" one of the mounted soldiers called out. He was tall and stocky in his light armor, and pointed his lance toward us. Our two leaders stopped in their tracks and stared at the cavalier in blue armor. "Stop in the name of the marquess!"

"Say Kent, isn't that Sir Balin?" asked Sain.

"It is," Kent replied.

"You know him?" I asked. Kent nodded.

"He is our senior," he told me. "He was knighted by our own Lord Hausen a year before we were. I cannot figure out why he is attacking us."

"Sir Balin!" called Sain. "Why do you attack us? Are we not all men of Caelin?" Well, that was really subtle. Just take the direct route, why don't you? Well, to his credit, at least he was doing something while I was standing there looking stupid.

"We are," answered Balin. "Unfortunately, we are now enemies, and to protect our beloved Caelin, you must be executed!"

"Okay, do you want to run that by us again?" I asked. "Because these two are good men of your country and you're just going to kil-WHOA!" Sain pulled me back just in time for the arrow to miss me. Apparently they weren't going to listen to the teenage tactician.

"Cowards! Attacking a defenseless boy like that!" shouted Sain. Defenseless boy. That guy sure had a way with words. Maybe I should remind him of who managed to escape the Black Fang on his own.

Kent held his lance forward. "Balin! We are not enemies! We are knights of Caelin! We are brothers-in-arms!"

"Silence! You are no brother of mine!" Balin shouted back. "For Caelin! Silence the traitors!"

"Traitors?" asked Kent, shocked.

"That's not good," I muttered as several soldiers pointed their lances at us and charged. "Everyone, stay on this side of the bridge!" I yelled. "Force them into one-on-one!" And we did just that. Kent and Sain began defending everyone with their lances, trying to push back the attacking Caelin soldiers. I was stumped. Why were the soldiers of Caelin attacking Kent and Sain... who were soldiers of Caelin? It took a moment before I finally managed to come up with an answer. "Lundgren..." I realized. If Lundgren had taken control of Caelin, then he would definitely want Kent and Sain, and in turn, Lyn, to be killed! That bastard was manipulating everyone!

"For Caelin!" shouted Balin, charging at... me. Crap...

He was stopped by our two knights, who both thrust their lances at him at the same time, knocking him off his horse and stabbing him in the chest. I looked at both of them and saw what looked like tears in their eyes.

"Good-bye, Sir Balin," whispered Kent. Sain sniffed and wiped away his tear.

"We must press onward!" the green knight shouted. "Lyndis's Legions! Forward ho!" The rest of our friends gave a cheer and marched beyond the bridge toward the last few knights of Caelin.

"Balin..." I whispered, kneeling down next to his form.

"I must... for Lord Lundgren... Traitors..." he coughed, blood trickling down his side. I had the urge to look away. It was different now. These men weren't good-for-nothing bandits who killed for money or even solely for the joy of it. They weren't assassins who lived in solitude with no feelings for life at all. They were men like Sain and Kent, who lived to serve their country, and had their own appreciation for life. They were men who had families, who possibly had children. And we were robbing those families of their fathers...

"Lundgren..." I growled.

"So you are the young acquaintance of the girl!" I heard a voice boom from above me. I looked up to see a man clad entirely in armor holding a large looking spear. He pointed it at me threateningly. "We have been told that you are the cause of the treason of these two good men! I will never forgive you for forcing us to fight them!"

"What are you talking about?!" I shouted, but his lance tip moved much closer to me.

"You must die!"

"Sir Yogi! Stop!" shouted Kent, riding over with his sword in hand and pointing it at the knight's face. "Do not harm Sean in any way."

"He has nothing to do with this," said Sain, with his lance in his grip. "If you wish to kill Sean, then you must do battle with us first!"

"I am removing the source of treason!" he shouted. "You will _not_ get in my way!" He turned toward the rest of the soldiers. "What are you curs waiting for? They're nothing but fleas! Call up for reinforcements, and rush 'em!" Just then, a bolt flew out of the sky and hit Yogi in the shoulder. He gasped in pain.

I looked toward the mountain and saw a fireball fly straight up into the air.

"That's the signal from Erk!" I shouted. "Florina!" At the call, Florina flew over, with Ninian riding behind her on Huey, and threw a javelin, hitting Yogi in the shoulder.

"Curses!" he shouted. "The ballista must've been taken... What's going on here? Somebody, get that girl!" Two of the men started charging for Florina, but in a quick flash, they were knocked out by Lyn.

"You..." growled Yogi. "You are traitors! You must be executed!" He pointed his lance at me again. "Beginning with you, boy!" At that, Kent and Sain thrust their lances at the knight at the same time, piercing the weak point in his armor where the bolt had hit. "Gah..." he gasped, dropping his lance. "Lord Lundgren... I've failed you... I pray you hurry... with those reinforcements... you promised."

"Yogi..." I whispered. "Somehow... am I the cause of all of this? Is that true?" He glared at me a bit before collapsing. I looked away. It was different now. The people we were killing had people to go to. They were fighting for a cause just like we were. Yet, I had to come up with these strategies that decides our fates as well as theirs.

It wasn't a good feeling.

* * *

"Is it over?" asked Lyn after we had taken care of the remaining attackers.

"Yes," Kent answered. "I see no more enemy soldiers. However, something is bothering me."

Lyn looked at him. "What is it?"'

"I noticed it during the fighting," he sighed. "Our opponents... They were soldiers of Caelin. I even recognized some of those we fought. I trained with many of them... And yet they attacked us without hesitation."

"Balin and Yogi," I whispered. I still couldn't believe it. We had made it all the way to Caelin, and then they attacked us. And Yogi seemed to really want to kill _me_. Like I was somehow the cause of all of this. I kept telling myself that wasn't the case, but for some reason, it wouldn't leave my mind.

Sain scoffed. "They're black-hearted traitors who've joined Lord Lundgren. Good riddance, I say. It also means less resistance at the castle."

"I hope you're right..." sighed Kent.

"I'm just glad Nils and Ninian were with us," smiled Lyn. "If that first shot had hit me, I might not have survived."

"We are honored to have served you well," said Ninian.

"We won't let you down!" said Nils.

Lyn nodded. "I know. I'm relying on you."

Just then, another familiar voice made itself known.

"What's this? You dealt with the ballista, too? Nicely done!"

"Matthew, where were you during all this?" asked Lyn.

Matthew smiled. "I went to the village to sniff about for information. I got some interesting news for my trouble, too."

Lyn's expression changed to a curious one. "Let's hear it!"

Matthew cleared his throat and began his news. "First, about Marquess Caelin's illness. He really is unwell. He's been abed for nigh on three months."

"Oh, no... Grandfather..." whispered Lyn, closing her eyes.

"I heard an interesting rumor about his condition, though," Matthew continued. "The people believe that someone's been poisoning the marquess..."

Lyn's eyes shot open, and she nearly dropped the Mani Katti in shock. "He's being poisoned!?" Her hands were shaking like mad at this point.

"And this someone... Well, everyone's too afraid to mention a name. However,they say that, as soon as the marquess took ill, a certain noble took control of the castle as though it were his own. I fed a hungry innkeeper some coin, and he fed me a name. The marquess of Caelin's own brother, Lord Lundgren."

"I knew it!" I exclaimed. "It made sense! That's why the soldiers were from Caelin!"

"How can this be?" demanded Lyn. "How can they allow him to get away with this? The villagers know he's the one poisoning my grandfather, and yet no one raises a hand against him? Why?"

"They are afraid, and they lack proof," Kent answered. "The whisperings of the common people means nothing."

"That's the truth of it," said Matthew. "And of the marquess's loyal retainers who might have lent credence to these rumors, there is no sign."

"Are you saying they've been silenced?" asked Lyn.

"It's a fair assumption," he replied.

Kent began massaging his temple. "This is beyond believing."

Matthew's face changed to a more serious one. "The worst news is yet to come."

"What? There's more?" asked Sain.

"An imposter's appeared, claiming to be the marquess's granddaughter. At least, that's the story Lundgren's telling to all who'll listen."

"An imposter?" I asked.

"What does that mean?" asked Lyn.

Matthew looked at her. "It means that people are waiting for two traitorous knights and a baseborn child to appear and lay claim to Castle Caelin."

I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. I realized that Lundgren had taken control, but I had no idea that it had gone this far. It all made sense. Sain and Kent were traitors, and now, I knew why. That bastard had everyone against us, and so it meant that we wouldn't get a break. I'd have to kill more of Caelin's people...

"But... But that... It can't be!" gasped Sain, dropping his lance.

Kent shook his head furiously. "Traitors? Us? Ridiculous!!!"

Lyn gripped her Mani Katti tightly. "He says... I'm an imposter?"

Matthew nodded. "Don't you have anything that proves your lineage?"

Lyn shook her head. "When my mother joined the Lorca, she brought nothing of Lycia with her."

"Nothing?" I asked. "What about your lo-" I stopped myself before I could finish that sentence. That locket didn't seem like it was Sacaen, whose jewelry looked analogous to Native American jewelry. It looked more European, like from Lycia, but I realized that it couldn't have been, because Kal's name was engraved on it. I wanted to avoid bringing up that painful subject for her, not when this was happening.

Sain spoke up. "Milady, Marquess Araphen himself remarked at your resemblance to Lady Madelyn! Your face is your proof!"

"They'll say we found a look-alike somewhere..." Kent answered immediately. "We're seen as betrayers of our knightly vows. Our word means nothing. No, our only hope is to see Marquess Caelin himself."

Lyn nodded. "We must hurry. If not, my grandfather... I must see him!. With my last breath if need be."

"I really hope not," I told her. "But you're right. We need to get to Marquess Caelin!"

"But we must formulate some manner of plan!" said Matthew. "Even if we set out for the castle, the troops patrolling the area will cause no end of problems. You have been branded as oathbreakers, after all."

There was a short pause before Lyn spoke up again. "I've got it! Eliwood... He seemed sympathetic to our plight. He should be still in Kathelet. If we can talk to him, he might help us!"

Kent smiled. "Of course! A sound idea!"

"Let's hurry!" said Sain, riding to the rest of the group.

Lyn nodded. "Yes! Back to Kathelet!!"

"Right let's head back." I said. This was too much. I couldn't keep up with all of this. My mind was trying to think of ways for us to get out of this situation, but each solution involved someone dying. There just didn't seem to be a way for us to win.

But that didn't matter. Lundgren's men would be stopping us at every corner if we didn't do something, and Kathelet had our solution. I just hoped Eliwood could help us.

* * *

"Thank you so much for helping us, Eliwood," said Lyn. We were sitting in a bedroom at an inn in Kathelet near the border of Caelin. We had found Eliwood nearly ready to leave after arriving, and were able to catch up with him, and he paid for rooms for all of us.

"It's no problem," smiled the red-haired lord. "I'll send word to all of Caelin's neighbors. We'll have this settled very soon."

"How soon?" I asked.

"Word will reach them within a day," said Eliwood. "Given that it will take another day for a firm decision to be made, and another day for their messages to come back to us, it will be about three days. Until then, I'll have accomodations paid for you here."

"Eliwood, I thank you," said Lyn. The lord just smiled and left us in the room.

"Three days. Man, what I would give for e-mail right now," I muttered. Unfortunately, computers weren't invented yet in this world. Heck, electricity wasn't invented yet in this world. All things considered, I supposed three days wasn't too bad. Then again, with Lundgren poisoning Lyn's grandfather, every second counted.

"I don't want to lose anyone else."

I looked at Lyn, who had her hands on her lap. "Lyn?"

"Sean... I want to tell you about something," she whispered. "It's about a... friend of mine. You saw his name on my locket."

"You mean Kal?" I asked. "Look, Lyn, if it's too much for you to talk about him, then..."

"No!" she interrupted. "No, Sean, please, just listen to me."

"O-Okay..." I replied. Well, here it was, I was finally going to hear about this Kal guy that Lyn was going to marry before I arrived in Elibe. I'd been wondering about him for a while, but with all the battles and stuff going on, I didn't really have the chance to ask. Not that I actually wanted to.

"Kal was my childhood friend," she began. "He was one year older than me, and he was incredibly skilled with both bow and sword. He was the finest warrior in the Lorca tribe, but, he wasn't arrogant or prideful in his combat abilities." She smiled at the memory. "He was modest, and had one of the kindest hearts I had ever seen in anyone."

"He sounds like quite a guy," I whispered.

"When I was thirteen, I found Florina in a tree, having fallen off her pegasus," she continued. "I helped her down and fought off a swarm of bees from a hive she had knocked over on accident, and we became friends. However, none of the tribe would trust an Ilian, and she was forced to leave. However, Kal helped me find a place to hide her, since her pegasus had a sprained wing from the ordeal. She was with us for an entire month, and Kal snuck her some food and water. Because of that, Florina had become my best friend, and I found myself falling in love with the boy who understood that."

"I see," I said. It's easy to see why she wouldn't fall for a guy like me. I couldn't hold a candle to this guy. He had known her all her life, he could actually hold a sword for more than a minute without getting tired, and best of all, he had a great personality. It's no wonder why she still thought of him after all this time. How could I compare to him?

"My father saw how I felt about him, and he accepted. Mother was so happy to see that I had met a boy who would treat me well. When I turned sixteen, my father announced that Kal and I were to be married, and he would be his successor." I saw tears beginning to fall onto her hands here. "I was so happy..."

"Lyn, you don't have to tell me all this," I whispered, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"That locket you saw was a gift from him," she told me. "He had traveled to Bulgar after the announcement, telling me that he'd return in a few months. When he did come back, he brought me that locket, with our names engraved on it, telling me that it was a symbol for our eternal love. He had gone to Bulgar and found work in order to buy that locket for me. I was so touched." She closed her eyes. "I was so naive to think that it was truly eternal..."

"The Taliver..." I said. "It was that day, wasn't it?"

"I didn't tell you much about it before," she said. "Those Taliver... they didn't just massacre our tribe. They had poisoned our water for ten days."

"What?" I asked, surprised. "No way..." That explained her reaction to the news of her grandfather. It was similar to how all of her loved ones died before.

"I watched as my tribe, my family, weakened painfully to the point where simply standing was a chore," said Lyn, letting the tears flow. "That night, when our defenseless tribe was attacked, my father put me on his horse and had me escape. I wanted him and Mother to come with me, but he insisted... And so did Kal..."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Lyn, I know this couldn't have been easy for you..."

"It must've been painful," she said quietly. "I remember... His arms were shaking, lifting me onto his horse with his last breath..." She was breaking down now, gripping her dress with her hands. "My parents died that night. Kal died that night... He was the only one who could fight, although he was only nineteen years old. I returned several days later and found their corpses huddled together. Kal died protecting my family." She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "You see why I cannot forgive the Taliver, and why I don't want to lose anyone else. This is why I must see my grandfather."

"Yeah," I replied. "Lyn, there's something I need to te-"

"Promise me, Sean," she interrupted, grabbing my hands. "You won't let anyone die! You are my master strategist, and I trust you with my life. Please, promise me that we will all live through this! I don't want to lose anyone!"

"L-Lyn..." Wow, that totally killed what I was about to say. How could I tell her I wasn't a tactician now? I couldn't tell her the truth about me. I knew it wasn't fair to her, but saying it here would just kill her. I had to keep this secret a secret for a little longer. But I still felt really bad about it.

"I promise," I told her. "Your tactician won't let anyone die." I think my stomach turned inside out once those words left my mouth. I didn't want to lie to her, not after she had told me so much about herself. But, what choice did I have?

Stupid dilemma...

* * *

_A/N: Well, not much for me to say about this chapter. It's really hard to follow up a chapter like the last one, but this point needed to get through. I finally revealed the deal with Kal and had it tie in with everything that had been happening. Or tried to, at least._

_I realize now how difficult it is to write a story about the tactician and what I got into. It was pretty hard to write this chapter because of what had happened before, and what was going on during this entire chapter in the game: defeating Caelin soldiers. I liked what I did with the previous chapter, but I couldn't do the same thing in this one. Honestly, I'm not sure I have an opinion on how this one turned out, so I'd like to know yours._

_Review!_


	11. Chapter 9: A Grim Reunion

_A/N: Happy New Year! This is a pretty long chapter, considering I had writer's block on how to write this for the longest time. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I just need some input on what you all think of it. This is, as you all know, the second to last chapter in Lyn's Story, and thus, the penultimate chapter in this story. Though, with all the subplots I threw in that need some closure, I'm pretty much obligated to write a sequel._

_Enjoy!  
_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 9: A Grim Reunion

_"It's your fault..."_

_"Who are you?"_

_I looked around me, and found myself in a dense fog. Silhouettes of many people appeared before me, and I found myself surrounded by voices who spoke to me like they were chanting._

_"Your fault..."_

_"What's my fault?! Who are you all?!"_

_One of the silhouettes stepped forward, making itself visible. I recognized him immediately._

_"Balin?" I asked. He nodded. His face was bloodied, and he walked with a limp, like a zombie. He slowly lifted his arm and pointed to me, with what I thought was an angry look._

_"You..." he said. "You forced my old friends to kill me."_

_"No! You attacked us!" I shouted. "They were defending me!"_

_"You separated me from my loved ones. You forced me to another world, where I can never see them, or laugh with them again."_

_"No! Stop!" I cried. "I never wanted to hurt anyone! I just wanted to help my friends! I'm supposed to save this world!"_

_"You are no savior," another voice boomed from behind me, which I recognized instantly._

_"Yogi..." I whispered, turning to face the dead knight. "I don't know what Lundgren's been telling you, but Kent and Sain have Caelin's best interests at heart! Lundgren's been lying to you! It's not my fault!"_

_"You lie to your friends," he said. I stepped back, shocked at what the dead man was saying to me. "You lie them, and yet they trust you so much that they would kill their old friends for you. They don't know the truth. You were never a tactician. You're only a boy, and a weak one."_

_"Shut up..." I whispered._

_"You never faced death. You never showed loyalty. You could never even love. You are nothing, boy. Nothing."_

_"Shut up..."_

_"Go back to where you came from, Sean Masters," said Balin. "Leave this world to its own. It doesn't need saving from a coward like you."_

_"Shut up!!"_

_"The Lady Lyndis will never love you, boy," said Yogi. "She sees you as a mere replacement for that dog of a Sacaen, Kal. And yet, he is a much better man than you could ever hope to be. It won't be long before she knows who you really are, and how you've been lying to her. Or maybe, because of you, she will reunite with her beloved Sacaen dog in death..."_

_"I SAID SHUT UP!!!!"_

* * *

I jolted awake in a cold sweat. Ever since that battle against the Caelin soldiers, I had nightmares about them, taunting me and telling me that I was worthless. I wasn't dead though. I was still in that inn near the border of Kathelet and Caelin, and I was still with Lyn and everyone. I fell back onto the bed. I was so tired of these nightmares.

I was so tired in general.

"Damn Lundgren," I muttered, getting up and putting on my green cloak. "Damn nightmares..." I sighed. The images were still vivid in my mind, the bloodied Caelin soldiers that died because everyone was protecting me.

'Stop thinking about it, damn it!' I thought angrily to myself. 'It was a nightmare! They protect you because they're your friends!'

'Damn it, Sean, I said stop thinking about it!'

Yeah, you know its bad when your mind starts arguing with itself. I think there's a psychological disorder that this is the first sign of.

Stupid nightmares.

* * *

"But I just wanted to try it!" I heard Serra whine as I made my way downstairs for breakfast.

"No!" shouted Erk. "The Fire tome is not for one who has not studied how to use it! It may look easy, but if you have not mastered control of anima magic the power from the book will all be released at once, more often than not killing the one who foolishly tried to use it!"

"Oh..." the cleric sighed. "Well, thank you for warning me then, Erky!"

I heard the mage grumble something inappropriate as he left the table. I couldn't help but laugh. My guess was that Serra had found Erk's fire tome and tried to see if she could conjure some flame before Erk stopped her from... performing what I did when I escaped the Black Fang. I guess it was just a freaking miracle that I escaped with only a bunch of burns.

"You look exhausted, Sean," said Lyn with a worried look. "Are you alright?"

"Bad dream," I replied, sitting down and picking up a piece of melon.

"The third day has arrived," said Kent. "I believe that Caelin's neighbors will send Eliwood their responses to his request. If they agree not to interfere with Caelin, we will have a much greater chance of success."

"And then we retake the castle from Lundgren, and return the true Marquess Caelin to his throne," Sain finished. "It will be a new day."

"Grandfather," whispered Lyn. I looked at her and sighed. I didn't want Lyn to lose any more than she already had: her parents, her friends, her loved one... If she lost her grandfather, then she really would have no one left. And I swore that I wouldn't let that happen.

"Lyndis!" a voice called from outside. We all got up and walked out, and were greeted by a familiar red-haired lord.

"Eliwood!" she exclaimed.

"Well met, Lady Lyndis," the lord smiled. "I bring good news. I've received word from Caelin's neighbors, Laus, Tuscana, Kathelet, Tania, and Santaruz. They will not interfere in Caelin's affairs. This they have promised."

"Oh good," I breathed a sigh of relief. "So this means that we just have to focus on Lundgren then."

"Eliwood, I don't know how to thank you..." said Lyn, smiling.

Eliwood smiled. "All I've done is convince them to remain neutral in this dispute." His expression then turned to a serious one. "However, this means I cannot aid you in any way either. Will you be all right?"

Lyn nodded. "I will win. I have to. It's the only way that I can help my grandfather."

"I understand," replied Eliwood. "Although I cannot help you directly, as a friend, I pray for your success." He held his hand out for a handshake.

Lyn gladly took it. "Thank you. I won't waste the opportunity you've given me." She turned to me. "I'm going to inform everyone of the news. We'll be ready to move forward soon."

"Right, go do that," I told her, and she went inside.

"I apologize that this is the best I can do for you, Sean," said Eliwood.

"What's to apologize for?" I asked. "You've done great. We can handle Lundgren's forces. Oh, by the way, did you get my request?"

Eliwood nodded, handing me a scroll. "A laid out map of Caelin's territory. You can have a good idea of Caelin's terrain and plan strategies accordingly. You're here, near the Eagler estate."

"Awesome," I smiled. "Thanks Eliwood. This will help us out a lot."

"You are very young for a tactician, Sean," said the red-haired lord. "Are you sure you don't need help against Caelin's forces? They are not to be taken lightly."

"I know," I told him. "But, I think we'll manage. We've gotten this far, right? Plus, we managed to battle the Black Fang. I'm pretty sure we can make it through Lundgren's lackies without too much trouble."

"Alright," said Eliwood. "Lyn seems to trust you very much. I suppose, as a friend, I should believe in you as well. Good luck, Sean."

"Thanks, Eliwood," I said. He was about to turn around and leave, when he stopped and looked at me again.

"Though, if you are interested, Pherae has a magnificent academy for military strategy. If you want, I can give you a recommendation and they will let you in without question."

A school for strategy. I really had to think about this. I simply went on my own sense of intuition and logic to plan out our strategies. I never had any sort of formal education in it, and admittedly, it would be useful to have.

"You know, I think I am interested. I'll need time to think about it," I told him finally. "Thanks for the offer." Eliwood nodded and left, while I went back into the inn to look at the map to plan our attack.

'Planning the deaths of more Caelin people...' a voice in my head told me. I shook my head furiously, trying to get that voice out of my head. I had to focus. We were so close to getting to Lundgren, so close to seeing Lyn's grandfather. I couldn't let something like this distract my thoughts. We needed to do this, or else Lundgren would just keep attacking us, and Lyn's grandfather would die.

And yet, I couldn't get the images of the Caelin soldiers out of my head.

* * *

"All right, everyone! Let's get going!!" shouted Lyn, after we all packed our stuff.

We all made our way out of the village and began moving. Sain looked around the area. "This weather is turning foul. It looks like a fog is rolling in."

"This is no good," said Kent. "If the fog thickens, we'll be blind in battle. It will be difficult to fight what we cannot see."

"We can't let it delay us, though," said Lyn. "Let us press on. We must get closer to the castle. What's the best route?"

Kent looked thoughtful. "Let me think... Our best path is to the south... However, that runs through General Eagler's estate. It looks like we still have one final obstacle to pass."

"Eagler's estate," I said as I opened up Eliwood's map. "I took a look at this earlier. Looks like we've got mountains over to the east... but there's a bridge in between a river connecting them, so we can cross that." I then looked at our large group. "Okay, everyone crossing the bridge at the same time will probably be dangerous. I don't think a single bridge can take every one of us crossing. Some of us will have to go north of this mountain here."

"Divide and conquer," said Kent. "A classic strategy."

"I'm guessing both areas are going to be full of soldiers, though," I thought aloud. "Dividing ourselves might not be the best strategy. There's got to be something we can use..."

"Sean, you'd best hurry," said Lyn. "The fog is beginning to come in."

"Oh, right. Forgot about that," I muttered. I looked at Nils. "I guess we're going to need your sixth sense again."

"I'll do my best," said the boy.

"Sean, put me in the lead, please," said Matthew. "Surely you know that we... er... thieves, if you must, can see through fog. Follow me, everyone!"

"Wait!" I shouted, but he wasn't listening. I sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just trust his eyesight. Let's move forward, guys!"

Of course, whenever I tell people to move forward, something blocks us. That's just the way things work while I'm in command. That was the case here. When we began moving toward the southern bridge, an armored knight came out of the mountains and stopped us.

"So you've come..." said the knight, removing his helmet and revealing an older bald man. He pointed his lance at us threateningly.

"Aah!" Sain gasped, with a look of realization on his face. Kent apparently had the same thoughts.

"You! You're... Lord Wallace!" said Kent.

"Kent, who is this?" asked Lyn.

"He used to be the commander of the knights of Caelin," replied the red knight.

"Aren't you supposed to be retired?" asked Sain. "I heard you were sowing fields now."

Wallace sighed. "I am, and I was. Then I received orders from Lord Lundgren. I was told to capture an imposter and a pair of rogues knights."

"Lord Wallace! Surely, you don't believe us to be oathbreakers, do you?" asked Kent.

"Bring me the girl that claims to be Lady Madelyn's child," commanded Wallace.

Sain stepped forward protectively. "What are your intentions?"

"If I don't like what I see, I will take her," he stated.

Kent stepped forward as well. "We will prevent you."

Wallace laughed. "You? Prevent me? You must be--"

"Enough!" shouted Lyn. "I'm right here! I am Lyndis."

"Ah..." said Wallace.

Lyn looked him with an unwavering gaze. "I'll understand if you don't believe me. But I've had enough of you and your foolish posturing!"

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. The knight stared at Lyn, and Kent and Sain were getting their weapons ready to fight the former commander of the Caelin knights if he decided to make a move.

"Hmm... Such beautiful eyes..." Well, there goes the silence.

"Pardon?" asked Lyn.

Wallace laughed heartily. "I've been a knight for 30 years, and there is one thing I learned. A person with eyes as bright and true as yours is no deceiver. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" At this point, I think I had a really confused look on my face. This guy, who looked like he was just about to kill us a moment before, was laughing! "Ah, yes! I like you, girl! Why, I believe I'll even join your little band of mercenaries!"

Pretty sure my jaw dropped here.

"Are you... Are you serious?" exclaimed Sain.

Wallace smiled. "This old bull's pledged his loyalty to Caelin. I would never allow an usurper on the throne. Let's march!" With that, he made his way toward the bridge.

"Lord Wallace!" chuckled Kent. "He... He hasn't changed at all."

Lyn smiled. "I like him. He's... honest."

"That he is," smiled Kent. "He deserves our respect."

"And he's armored..." I smiled. "This might work out well."

* * *

"I'd planned on living my days peacefully on my farm... Ah, well..." sighed Wallace. "It looks as though it's time to take up arms once more." He looked at me. "Sean! You're the tactician of this group, correct?"

"That would be correct," I replied.

"What are my orders?" he asked.

"You're going to lead the attack force across the bridge," I told him. "Since you're heavily armored and experienced, Lundgren's forces should have a hard time hitting behind you, giving our mage, Erk, and our archer, Wil, an easy time to back you up. Our healer, Serra, will be coming with you too. Between all of you, I don't think you're going to have much of a problem. The rest of us will go north, past the mountains, and we'll meet you at the estate."

"Ha ha! I like you, kid! You sound like a real strategist!" laughed Wallace.

"Yeah... Thanks..." I replied, having a flashback of my dreams and the guilt of lying to all of my friends. Of course I sounded like a real strategist, but that was as real as it got.

"Well, Sean, I'm glad the daughter of Lady Madelyn met you," smiled the knight, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I will follow your orders!"

"I'm glad you decided to join us, Lord Wallace," I told him. "Hey, what's that?" I pointed to what looked like a small insignia on his shoulder. Wallace smiled when I pointed it out.

"Ha ha haaaa! So you've noticed my knight crest, have you? You've eyes like an eagle, my friend!"

"Er...well..." I began. Didn't know what to say to that. Heck, in retrospect, I still don't.

"It's a sign of a hardened warrior, my boy!" Wallace explained. "Once this crest was given, I've become even stronger! A terrifying thought, isn't it? Ha ha haaaa!"

"Uh... right..." I sighed. Well, the way he said things made it sound like it was a metamorphosis of some sort, like when a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. But, heck, that was crazy!

Wallace raised his lance with a proud smile on his face. "Ha ha ha haaa! Look! A giant walks among you!! My defense is impenetrable! Come! Break your weapons against me!" And with that, he made his way across the bridge. Slowly... but surely, he was moving.

"Um... right, you go break their weapons," I said. I don't think he heard me over his own shouting. Ah well, what could I say? He was succeeding, none of the attackers seemed to put a dent into his armor. And honestly, I had to love the baldie's personality. "Right, let's keep going with the plan. Erk, Wil, Serra, stay close to the giant on the bridge."

"We'll see you soon," said Wil, running after said giant. Erk and Serra followed close behind.

"As for the rest of us," I said as I turned to the rest of the group. "We're taking the mountain route."

* * *

"Are you sure they'll be okay?" asked Lyn, taking down a swordsman with her Mani Katti. "Matthew and Nils would be most helpful to them, with this fog."

"Lyn! To your left!" shouted Matthew. Lyn swung in the shouted direction, taking out another soldier. Yeah, thieves could see in the fog, alright. And boy, was I glad.

"They'll be fine," I told her. "Serra has a torch from the village. Besides, as long as they stay close to Wallace, no one can touch them. We'll meet at the Eagler Estate real soon."

"The Eagler Estate is up ahead!" shouted Sain.

"Real soon..." I repeated. The looming structure was like a small castle, with towers and everything. Though, I had to admit, it was a bit more homey than the Black Fang stronghold. "Alright, guys, we're almost the-"

"Men! Hold your attacks!" a voice erupted from the fog, interrupting me. I turned to see a horseman riding toward us, with lance in hand. The fog cleared a bit, I saw his face. It was an older man, maybe in his forties. He had green hair and a mustache, and wore the armor of a knight. He made his way toward us, and Lyn stepped in front of me with a protective stance.

"I take it that's General Eagler?" I asked Kent. I interpreted the red knight's silence as a "Yes."

"Bring forth the imposter who calls herself 'Lyndis'!" he commanded. "She shall not pass beyond this place!"

"Don't do this, Lyn," I whispered. "He doesn't need to-"

"I am Lyndis," she shouted. I sighed, I should've known that her pride would win over my logic. "I'm no pretender. I'd ask you to believe me, but your heart and mind seem set."

The man sighed. "Enough talk... Draw your sword!"

"EAGLER!" a voice boomed, and Wallace stepped onto the scene with an axe handy. Eagler seemed to recognize our bald friend immediately.

"General Wallace..." he said. "So you have sided with the girl, too!"

"I fight for Caelin's honor, not for Lundgren's lies!" Wallace shouted.

Eagler smiled. "Ah... Is that so? You are-- Enough! There's nothing more to be said. I name you traitors all! Come! Do your worst!"

Wallace growled. "Fool... At the very least, let mine be the blow that finishes you!"

"No, General Wallace!" shouted Kent. Eagler turned toward our red knight.

"Is that you, Kent?" he asked.

Kent looked at the knight with resolute eyes. "General Eagler! We found Lady Lyndis on the orders of the marquess. We have worked so very hard to return her safely to Caelin."

"And yet you have no proof of the girl's identity. Is that not true?" asked Eagler.

"Yes, but..."

"Then our talk is finished!" shouted Eagler. "Draw your weapon and come!"

"Wait, Kent!" interrupted Sain, riding in. "General Eagler..."

"Sain..." replied the general. "I never imagined you could turn traitor..."

Sain glared at him. "Who's the traitor here? I am following the orders of my sworn liege lord. Not Lundgren, but my true liege, the marquess himself!"

"You speak with conviction," said Eagler. "I think it's time to test the bounds of your loyalty!" He turned to me. "You, boy!"

"Uh... yeah?" I asked. I was surprised by his direct addressing of me.

"You are the tactician that we have heard about," he said. "You are the one who turned these good knights traitor!"

His words shocked me so much I collapsed on my knees. "Wh-What?" I asked.

"General Eagler!" shouted Kent. "This boy did no such thing! Without him, we wouldn't-"

"-have found the girl?" asked Eagler. "This boy is after the throne of Caelin! You see him as your tactician, but he is no such thing!"

"N-No..." I whispered. What he was saying... that was what was haunting me for all this time. I wasn't a tactician, and I knew that. I just wanted my friends to live, and for Lyn to see her grandfather, but... what was Lundgren telling these men? How was there truth mixed in with all of his lies?!

"That is a vile accusation," said Kent. "I assure you, Eagler, Sean is a tactician, and without him, we would not have made it safely to Caelin."

"Kent..." I whispered.

"You don't know this boy," said Sain, stepping forward with his lance. "He has a pure heart, and struggles to protect us. We have put our full trust into him, and he has yet to let us down. We will prevent you from harming him."

"Sain..." I whispered. Tears were beginning to come out of my eyes. Kent and Sain... did they have that much faith in me? Why? I wasn't really a tactician! Eagler was telling the truth! I couldn't take it anymore. I had to give myself up, for their sake. "Guys, wait-"

"Is that so?!" shouted Eagler. "Well, I suppose it is far too late to convince you otherwise." He turned to me. "Boy, in the present circumstances, I propose a duel between my two former students and myself. If your knights defeat me, I will allow you to pass onward to Caelin. Otherwise, you leave Caelin, and never return."

"Wh-What?!" I asked, incredulously. "Why would we-" I then realized that the fog had cleared up completely and could see the soldiers all with their lances pointed at us. We had become completely surrounded. "-Oh, I see your point. That would be a better idea than fighting all of you, huh?"

"Men!" shouted Eagler. "This will be a duel of honor between myself and the two traitorous knights! If I fall, you will not take revenge! You will swear on your honor as soldiers of Caelin to let these men pass!"

The was whisperings within the crowd about the general's proposal about why they would let traitors pass, or why Eagler would propose such a disadvantageous strategy. "Boy, what say you?" he asked me.

"I-I..." I hated being put on the spot. I turned to Sain and Kent, who looked at me with anticipation. "I-"

"We accept!" shouted Kent and Sain at the same time.

"W-Wait! Guys!" I tried to stop them, but Wallace held me back.

"Let the boys go, laddie," he said to me. "This is their fight now."

"No! It shouldn't be this way!" I shouted. "Kent... Sain..."

"Ah, man up, boy!" shouted Wallace. "Do you not believe in those lads out there? They're fighting for you and the Lady Lyndis! They will not fall so easily, I assure you!"

"Sean, this is a duel of honor," said Lyn. "It is like the fight I had with Glass for the Mani Katti. It would be wrong of us to interfere."

"I know that!" I shouted. "But..."

_'They shouldn't be fighting for me...'_

Kent and Sain dismounted, as did Eagler. Kent pulled out his sword, and Sain held onto his lance. Eagler brandished a lance as well. "Are you boys ready?" he asked.

"Yes," answered the two knights.

The tension was thicker than the fog was before, and the three men got into fighting stances. "BEGIN!" shouted Eagler. Sain and Kent charged forward, and Eagler countered by thrusting his lance at Kent, catching the sword-wielding knight's armor.

"You should not only focus on a single foe!" shouted Sain, thrusting his own lance forward. Eagler moved to the side and caused the lance to miss. He then pulled a small axe from behind him.

"And you should not recklessly charge into battle without knowing your opponent's arsenal," he replied, swinging the axe at Sain's stomach. It hit dead on, and the momentum of the lance thrust only made the axe dig deeper into his abdomen.

"G-Gah!" gasped Sain, doubling over in pain. Eagler pulled the axe back and kicked Sain away, causing him to roll to the side, still clutching his wound.

"Sain!" I shouted, and Wallace tightened his grip.

"Let the boy be," he told me. "We'll heal him after they finish with Eagler."

"But..."

"Sean, put more faith in them," said Lyn. "I don't want them hurt either, but I know that they will prevail."

"It's not right..." I whispered, trying to force back the tears. "It's just not.. right..."

"Sean..." a meek voice came from behind me. I turned and saw Florina, dismounted from her pegasus. "They believe in you. So you must do the same for them."

"Florina," I whispered. "But-" I stopped and realized that Florina still knew about me. I had accidentally revealed everything to her. And yet, after all of this...

"I-I know that you are not as he says," she said. "You do not want to take Caelin. You know this as well. So, there is no need to hesitate about your feelings, Sean. Just believe in us, your friends."

"Florina..." She was right. I couldn't keep wallowing like this, not when we were so close to Caelin. I turned to the battle, where Kent and Sain had gotten up. "Kick some ass, you two!" I shouted.

"He is indeed our teacher," panted Kent.

"Yes, we were hardly able to scratch him," said Sain, picking up his lance again. "I believe he is stronger than both of us, Kent."

"I agree," the red knight replied. "Then there is only one way we can win."

"One way?" I asked.

"Yes," smiled Wallace. "It's clear to those lads now that Eagler is far too experienced and strong for them to simply attack. They seem to be forming some sort of strategy."

"Yes, it seems to be that way," said Lyn. "Their strength and skills are not equal to Eagler's. He is simply superior to them in nearly every way."

"So, they have to use something that they are superior to him with, right?" I asked. "But the only thing I can think of is..." I stopped, and smiled. "So, that's how this is." I had figured it out, exactly how our favorite knights were going to win.

Sain made his move by charging at Eagler with his lance. Eagler stepped back and readied his axe. Sain made a thrust, which Eagler parried, and began a strike with the axe. It was here that Kent made his move, blocking the axe with his sword.

"What?!" gasped Eagler. Sain took the moment of surprise to swing the butt-end of the lance into the general's stomach, knocking the wind out of him for a second. He dropped his axe, and Kent made another move, swinging the sword and catching his former teacher on the shoulder. Sain stepped back and made another thrust at Eagler's shoulder, this time hitting it and knocking down the older general. The other soldiers watched the battle in awe, as their strong leader found himself on the defensive from the two knights.

"I... I've taught you well," smiled the general.

"Yes," panted Sain. "It was clear we would not be able to overpower you with our skills. You most definitely have the advantage there."

"So we needed to use something we have an advantage in," Kent continued. "Our numbers."

"Well, I suppose it's impossible for me to win now," he sighed. "But... I must fight until my last breath! That is the proud death of a knight of Caelin!"

"Eagler! Give up!" I shouted. "There's no point in going on if you can't win! The only thing that can happen is that you die! Don't throw your life away like this!"

"Boy..." he looked at me, and his hateful expression toward me changed. He smiled. "I see I have misjudged you. But, too much is at risk for me to stop fighting." He readied his javelin. "Come at me, lads! Show your teacher your strength!"

"I suppose we must," sighed Kent. "Sain! We will finish this now!"

The green knight nodded, readying his lance. "I'm sorry, General Eagler," he whispered. The general charged at Sain with his javelin, and our favorite green knight stood his ground. As the General got close, Sain thrust the lance forward, into his former teacher's stomach. Kent took the chance and lunged forward with his sword, stabbing Eagler in the chest. With the two fatal wounds, Eagler fell backward. Kent and Sain immediately threw down their weapons and ran to their former teacher's aid. Wallace, Lyn, and I were all quick to follow.

"General Eagler..." whispered Kent.

"Why? Why did it have to end like this, General Eagler?" sniffed Sain, wiping away a tear.

The older gentleman looked at the two knights and smiled faintly. "Do... Do not weep for me... Kent... Sain... I am proud... to have an honorable death... I thank you..." At those words, he groaned in pain, clutching his wounded stomach. "Nnng... Go... Go quickly. The marquess... he knows nothing of this... His life is... There's no illness. Only... poison... Please... for the marquess... for all of Caelin..." And at those words, his body went limp.

* * *

"What kind of man was General Eagler?" asked Lyn after we set up camp, readying ourselves for the final battle with Lundgren.

"When Sain and I first became knights, he was our captain. Our teacher..." Kent replied.

"I think he must have known we were telling the truth," said Lyn. "Why did he force the fight?"

"Something must have... Lord Lundgren was exerting some hold on him..." Sain replied. "Eagler was trying to protect someone. A friend perhaps, or family."

"Lundgren..." I muttered. "That bastard..."

Lyn stood up and wiped away a tear. "May Lundgren never know the peaceful embrace of Mother Earth! I care not what others do. I WILL stop that man!" she shouted, and then turned to me. "Sean! The final battle is approaching!"

"Yeah..." I replied. Was I nervous? Yeah, incredibly. I hadn't forgotten how Yogi had targetted me, and Eagler's words before the fight. Caelin blamed me for the treason of Kent and Sain. I had no idea how they knew about me, but it was clear that battling Caelin was inevitable before facing Lundgren. My friends were at risk because of me. And I could only try to help them by stepping into a profession that I was never trained for...

"Sean?" I heard Lyn say from behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Erk has finished tonight's dinner. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure..." I sighed. Lyn looked at me with concern.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked.

"Lyn, everything is so wrong..." I replied. "Eagler didn't deserve to die... none of the Caelin soldiers deserved to die, and yet..." I think I felt fluid beginning to force its way out of my eyes. "Are we murderers, Lyn?"

"No, of course not," she answered, and pulled me into a hug. "Sean, we will defeat Lundgren, and those men who died by our blades will be honored. But for right now, we are at war... and sacrifices will be made."

"I never wanted this," I whispered. For the first time, Lyn held me and I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the feeling. I was that distraught. I thought back to when I first met her, when she saved me. How much had happened since then? How much was going to happen from that point forward? Was Lundgren really going to be the final battle?

My destiny. I remembered Professor Dumas telling me about that. I was supposed to save Elibe. Lundgren was bad, but somehow he didn't seem like the kind of threat that would destroy the world. No, Caelin wouldn't be the end of it. It would end once a global catastrophe was averted... and I had to somehow prevent it.

"There's stew ready," a voice came from near us. I had forgotten that Lyn and I were still hugging. We pulled back to see Rath looking at us.

"Y-Yes, thank you, Rath," replied Lyn. I think I saw a faint blush on her cheeks as she made her way to the campfire.

"Come, Sean," said the nomad. "We will not wait for you any longer."

"Coming," I replied, and under my breath, continued. "Jerk..."

* * *

I had to admit, having a bit of food in my stomach made things much better for me. The campfire was very grim that night, and I could see that all of us were exhausted from that day's battle. We needed a lot of rest in preparation for the upcoming confrontation with Lundgren.

Unfortunately, my mind was constantly active that night, even after everyone had fallen asleep. I just couldn't bring myself to do the same. Man, if only Serra had that Sleep staff that Ursula used on me...

I decided to leave to tent, taking care not to wake up the other guys, and went for a walk. The moon was full that night, so I could see fairly easily. After strolling near some trees, I saw a familiar figure walking out from behind one.

"Florina?" I asked.

"S-Sean!" she exclaimed, nearly falling over in surprise. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep," I answered. "What about you?"

Florina looked away, blushing furiously. "I was... Y-You don't need to know..."

I was pretty sure that I saw all the other guys asleep in the tent when I got out, so I began wondering what a girl would be doing alone near a tree in the middle of the night...

Oh.

"S-Sorry," I replied. I think I was blushing as well.

"I-I think I should leave..." said Florina, and she began to make her way toward the camp.

"Florina, wait," I called after her, stopping her. "Thanks for today."

"Wh-What do you mean?" she asked.

"For, you know, believing in me," I replied. "And for keeping the fact that I'm not a real tactician secret. I really do want to tell everyone, but after all this, I couldn't."

"You've been doing well, so far, S-Sean," whispered the pegasus knight. "But, you should tell everyone. You saw how Kent and Sain fight for you, and how Lyn does as well. I-I don't think it's fair that you keep this from them."

"It's not," I said. "I know that. But I don't have a choice. If I tell them now, I don't know how well we can do against Lundgren. And I'm not talking about my strategies. If they have any doubts about what they went through up to this point, I don't know how it will affect the way they fight." Hey, I think my ability to talk to pretty girls is getting better!

"I guess I-I understand," sighed Florina. "You should rest, Sean. We have a big day ahead of us. Good night."

"Night," I replied, making my way back to the tent. Big day. That was probably the understatement of the year. But Florina was right, I needed rest. I didn't want a throbbing headache in the morning like I had a while back, though Serra was able to cure it, but I wanted my mind to be clear and sharp in the morning.

I also wanted to stop having nightmares, but somehow that didn't seem possible either.

* * *

_End Chapter_

_A/N: And there you have it! The (tentatively) penultimate chapter of Trials of a Teenage Tactician! (I may or may not write an epilogue chapter) I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out, especially with General Eagler, considering he was a character that Kent, Sain, and Wallace actually knew and was an important man in Caelin's army. I had a lot of fun writing about their relationship with the paladin and I hope that the fight was enough to keep you interested._

_I also added the bit with Erk and Serra in the beginning in order to resolve an issue that came up during the chapter of Sean's escape: He is not a mage, and will (probably) never be. The Fire tome he used exploded because he had no idea how to use it, and he escaped by nothing less than, as he put it, a freaking miracle. I tried to address it when he actually escaped, but seeing as a lot of reviews saw this as him having mage powers, I figured I should address it. Yes, Sean is smart, but he also gets really, really lucky._

_Also, I had no idea how to write about Wallace's "transformation" from Knight to General, considering, if you think about it, is pretty ridiculous translating from the game to a real life analogy. I was reading the Fire Emblem manga based on FE6 __and class changes in that were simply high ranking promotions, so I decided to just stay with that. __(if you haven't read it, go to onemanga and look it up, it's pretty good!) Not sure what you all think of that, but for me, it was the easy way out.  
_

_With that said, I will say that the next chapter may take some time before coming out. Up until now, I had a buffer of about 5 chapters written ahead of time in case I got writer's block. Unfortunately, the whole thing with Wallace's class change kept this from being written until last week, and so the final chapter has not yet been written. And considering the need for a good finale, I'll need some time to write it.  
_

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review!_


	12. Chapter 10: The Distant Plains

_A/N: And after two months, we now have Chapter 10 of Lyn's story from the point of view of a teenage tactician from our world! Enjoy!_

_UPDATE: Fixed an error in the document. My bad!  
_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

Chapter 10: The Distant Plains

"So, you are the tactician that I have heard so much about," said the armored man.

"Yeah, that's me," I answered.

"My men have told me so much," he smirked. "You and that Sacaen mongrel of an heir, how you've managed to survive up to this point."

"Yeah," I replied. "You've given us a hard time, Lundgren."

"Well, no matter," he smirked. "The girl could not have possibly come here on her own, with only those two knights at her side. No, it took the mind of a mere boy to guide them here." He then grabbed me by the neck and lifted me off the ground, choking me. I couldn't move, the shackles were bound too tightly around my arms. "And now, I have that boy in my grasp."

"G-Gah..." The man's cold hands were tight around my throat, and I could feel my air being cut off. "B-Bas...tard..."

"Lord Lundgren, the imposter Lyndis approaches the castle," a man called from the door. "Allow me to watch the prisoner." At those words, Lundgren dropped me, and I quickly took a deep breath to regain the blocked off air.

"Very well, Sir Balan," said Lundgren. "I know you wish revenge on this boy, so I will leave you. Just make sure he is kept alive." With that, he left the room.

"Kept alive?" I asked. At the sound of my voice, Balan threw a hard punch at my stomach, and I doubled over in pain.

"You don't deserve to be kept alive," he growled, kicking my in the face. I staggered backwards and fell against the wall. I felt blood trickle from my nose. "You... The tactician of those mercenaries that killed so many Caelin men. You deserve to die!" At those words, he punched me in the chest.

"Gah!" I cried. That guy had one hell of a punch. I think I felt one of my ribs crack.

"The tactician of that impostor girl who wishes to claim the Caelin throne," Balan growled again, throwing a right hook at my face. I fell over into a pile of hay. I'm pretty sure I was coughing up blood at this point.

"L-Lyn..." I managed to wheeze. "She's... not..."

"That tactician... who killed my brother!" Balan screamed as he grabbed my tunic and threw me against the wall. "Lord Lundgren may be generous and want you alive but if it were my choice, I would kill you, right now!"

"Y-Your... brother?" I coughed.

"Sir Balin," he said. "Among the finest knights of Caelin. And your men killed him! Those traitors Kent and Sain!" He grabbed my throat. "I may not be allowed to kill you, boy, but I can maim you until you cry mercy!" At that, he threw me to the ground and kicked me in the stomach.

"Balin..." I whispered. "I... didn't... want..."

"Do not speak his name! You dared to storm Caelin as soon as our dear Lord Hausen took ill," he growled. "You are nothing but a coward, boy. Hiding behind your men. You do not know what it means to be a man." He kicked me in the stomach again, forcing me to cry out in pain.

"What sort of man are you then, Balan?" a feminine voice came from a corner of the cell. "Maiming that boy when he obviously cannot defend himself. Who's the more cowardly?"

Balan stopped his attacking, and looked toward the corner. "Do you know who this boy is, Chloe? He is responsible for the death of your father!"

"E-Even so," said the girl. "I cannot sit here and let you brutally torture him. Please, just let him be. He's had enough."

Balan scoffed and spit on me. Yeah, adding insult to injury is real manly, pal. "I will be watching you, boy. Do not even think of escaping. If you do, no daughter of my teacher will stop me."

"Wasn't... on my... mind..." I wheezed. It's really hard to talk after being beat up like that. He kicked me once more, and I was left rolling on the floor in pain.

"Are you alright?" asked Chloe.

"Never better..." I replied. "I roll on the floor because it feels good." I could hear the sound of chains moving closer to me, and a pair of hands touching my arm. Apparently, her arms were shackled in the front. "I thought I was alone here."

"Lundgren uses this cell to keep people he may use as hostages," she replied. "I was one of them. My name is Chloe Eagler."

"E-Eagler?" I asked. "As in, General Eagler?"

"My father," she replied. "Evidently, you are responsible for his death."

"I..." I trailed off. It was true. It was all true. Kent and Sain killed him, but they killed him for me. Their own teacher. "It was my fault," I told her. "I'm so sorry, Chloe." I whispered.

"It is my fault as well," she sighed. "I was studying in Pherae when I was told that my father was ill. I rushed back to Caelin, and was captured by Lundgren's men." I felt a teardrop on my hand. "If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have fought you. He'd still be-"

"Don't think like that, Chloe," I interrupted. I managed to sit myself up and take a look at her. She had the same sea green hair as Eagler, but looked nothing like him. Thank god. She was actually quite pretty, and looked about seventeen. She had long hair tied in a large ponytail, and was wearing a grey dress which exposed her bare shoulders.

And in taking time to look at her, I managed to forget what I wanted to say.

"You're right," said Chloe. "Thank you."

"Y-Yeah," I replied. There, once again, is my lack of ability to talk to pretty girls.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"My name? It's Sean," I answered. I love how I had to pause there.

"You're a very kind person, Sean," she continued. "I have no doubt that you are not a threat to Caelin."

"Th-Thanks," I replied. "Anyway, um... studying in Pherae?" Typical. I try to start a conversation, and it comes to school. I hate my nerd mind.

"Yes, I am a student at the Royal Academy of Pherae," said Chloe.

"The Pheraean Academy?" I asked. "Yeah, Eliwood told me about that. Said he could get me in if I wanted to."

"Eliwood? Do you mean _Lord_ Eliwood?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah," I replied. "You know him?"

"Well, I know about him," she said. "He is the prince of Pherae, a graduate of the Academy at the top of his class." She paused. "He has flowing red hair and a dazzling smile. Every girl wishes to marry him, and..."

"Okay, okay, I get it," I stopped her. Jeez, that Eliwood has his own fan club! Lucky son of a-

"But, I'm sorry," she laughed. "It is nice to have someone to talk to. I guess there was too much for me to say."

"Yeah, just a bit," I chuckled.

"You are very young for a tactician, Sean," she said. "I was expecting someone older."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," I sighed. "But, I'm not really a tactician. I never was."

"Do not be so modest," she chuckled. "Lundgren considered you the greatest threat to his treachery. You came all the way from Sacae with only a few soldiers and won every battle he threw at you. Surely you have the true mind of a strategist."

"I won those battles because my friends were there," I told her. "I'm really not a strategist, Chloe. My friends were just strong enough to get through every situation that we were in."

"But then... you really aren't a tactician?" asked Chloe. "But, Lundgren said... Everyone..."

"They're wrong about me, Chloe," I finished. "I'm just what I look like, a guy who gets beat up a lot. Apparently, I've got a pretty good brain, but it's not worth anything if it comes down to deciding whether someone lives or dies. It tore me up when Kent and Sain were forced to kill Balin and your father, Chloe. I didn't tell them to, but they did it to protect me and Lyn."

"Lyn?" asked Chloe. "Do you mean the Lady Lyndis?"

"Yeah," I replied. "They all believed in me. They all thought that I was more than what I really was. And because of that..." I paused, trying to gather the words that I needed. "...they killed people. They killed bandits, and assassins, and even the brave soldiers of Caelin. All because of me." I took another breath as the sad memories began to flood my mind again. "And now they know everything. None of them believe in me anymore."

"If you do not mind, Sean, would you tell me what happened?" she asked.

"Not much to tell," I sighed. "It started this morning..."

* * *

_Flashback - That morning..._

We had just finished our light breakfast of bread and fish, and had packed up our stuff. Kent and Sain began to lead us toward our final destination, Castle Caelin, and we prepared ourselves for the inevitable confrontation with Lord Lundgren. I had spent the early parts of the morning studying the map of Caelin that Eliwood had gotten me, and tried coming up with the best way for us to reach the castle.

I had realized a lot about my being sent to Elibe, and about my place. Every battle I took part in, every plan I made, decided our fates. And this was it. Lundgren would not hold back now that we were so damn close. My strategies would involve more death, more losses, and more heartbreak. Caelin's entire military force was after us, and we needed to face them all. And I also realized that it wouldn't end there. The destiny that Professor Dumas had mentioned when he sent me to Elibe implied that I would be instrumental in saving the world. I was a tactician sent to Elibe in order to prevent its destruction... and as much as I hated to admit it, I needed to have the strength of mind to have blood on my hands.

The thought of that made me want to lose my breakfast.

"Lady Lyndis, you should be able to see Castle Caelin once we pass these mountains," said Kent.

"Grandfather... I'll be with you soon," whispered Lyn.

"Everything rests on this next battle," said Kent, turning to me.

"I know," I sighed.

Sain continued. "Lundgren will not be receiving the reinforcements he expected. He'll move against us with everything he has soon."

Lyn kept a firm stare at the mountain that separated us from Castle Caelin. "Let him come! Let them all come!" she shouted. "I will not be turned away! I will see my grandfather... I've come too far to let anyone stand in my way." She turned to me. "This is it, Sean. This is our final test. My friends, for one last time, lend me your strength!"

"As if there was any way that we wouldn't," laughed Wallace.

"I'll do my best!" said Florina.

"We're ready, right Erky?"

Erk's response was a nod.

"We're almost there," smiled Wil. "Let's do this."

"We'll help in any way we can," said Nils.

"If you need me, I will be happy to aid you," said Ninian.

"So long as Hausen's got a reward, I'm up for anything," chuckled Matthew.

"May St. Elimine be merciful to our cause," said Lucius.

"I have yet to repay my debt to you, milady," said Dorcas. "Let us proceed."

"I said when we started this journey that we'd stick together, Lyn," I said. "Let's go face your uncle."

"No."

That last answer shocked all of us. We turned to the stoic nomad who gave the only nonsupporting answer to Lyn's request.

"Rath?" asked Lyn.

"I refuse to follow that false strategist any longer," Rath replied simply. "And I suggest you do the same, Lyn of the Lorca."

"Wh-What?" I stuttered. "But..." Oh, this was _really_ not going to end well.

"Rath, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Kent.

"Did you truly believe that you couldn't be heard last night?" he asked me. "When you and the pegasus knight were talking? You have much to learn about the ears of a Sacaen."

Oh, shit.

"R-Rath..." whispered Florina, stepping away.

"Rath, listen," I told him. "There was a misunderstanding..."

"Your words were fairly clear," he replied. "That you were keeping the fact that you aren't a real tactician secret."

"I..." I began, looking around at my friends. Every one of them, staring at me, waiting for an answer. Man, I hate being put on the spot.

"Sean..." Florina began.

"Tell me the truth, Sean," said Lyn. "Are you really a tactician?"

I looked at them. What could I do now? If I told them the truth, at this vital point in time, I had no idea how it would affect them. But Rath heard me. And, knowing him, it would be easy for him to know that I was lying. And either way, I had dragged Florina into this. How would they treat her if they found out she was keeping this secret from them?

"The truth is..." I began. I had to take a breath, this was getting to the point where my fate might be decided. "...I'm not really a tactician. I never was. Lyn, when we first met, I said that to impress you." I fell to my knees. The truth was relieving, and I decided to continue. "My life was... comfortable. I've never seen war, or death. My strategies have been a combination of intuition and dumb luck. It was... just lucky that none of you have died yet." I took another breath and waited.

The silence after everything I said was a long one, and one that began tearing at me. I had said it, to all of them, before their biggest battle. And once it had been said, there was nothing else I could do to take it back.

"It can't be true..." whispered Sain, breaking the silence.

"Oh, laddie," sighed Wallace, shaking his head.

"You kept this from us?" asked Kent. "How could you? We all believed in you! We... We killed our teacher for you!"

"I know," I replied. "I'm sorry, none of this was supposed to happen. I just wanted to get Lyn back to her grandfather, I never wanted any of this to happen!"

"Sean, you lied to all of us," said Dorcas. "I... don't know what to think right now."

"I can't believe this," said Wil.

"This is troubling, Sean," sighed Lucius. "Friendship is a gift, and abusing it is a crime."

"No kidding," muttered Serra.

"Guys, wait!" I shouted. "I know that I lied to you, and I'm sorry, but look at where we are! I'm learning! We've all made it here because we stuck together. Please, don't-"

"I still have the honor of a Sacaen, boy," said Rath. "I will not pursue you for revenge, because of how well you have served us up until now. But, I will not hesitate to put an arrow through anyone who desires to harm Lyn."

"I'd never hurt Lyn!" I shouted. "She's the reason I came to Elibe in the first place!" I trailed off, realizing that I revealed a little too much. Too late, the words were already out.

"What do you mean... came to Elibe?" asked Sain.

"I... I..." I couldn't find a straight answer after that.

"You came here... for me?" asked Lyn. "But... I found you by accident. How?"

"And outsider with knowledge of Lyn," said Rath. "And she happens to have a secret heritage that even she didn't know about. Somehow, I don't believe this is coincidence, boy."

"I swear, I had no idea," I tried to defend myself.

"Lies!" shouted Kent. "I will have no more of this, Sean! After everything that we've done for you, you still kept this from us!"

"And Florina kept this secret as well," said Matthew. "What did you do, Sean? Hold her at knifepoint?"

"No, I wouldn't do that!" I shouted. "Please, trust me. What I want is the same as you guys. I want to get Lyn safely to Caelin and stop Lundgren." I turned to the one who had trusted me just the night before. "Florina..."

"Sean, I... I'm sorry," she whispered. "If you originally came for Lyn, then I-I'm not sure I can trust you anymore either."

"No..." I whispered.

"Sean," Lyn spoke up. "You've been a good friend for these past weeks. I'm... grateful for everything you've done." She paused, as if trying to find the right words. Man, I hate silence like this. "But... given this new information, I know what the best course of action is. Thank you for everything, Sean, but... I have to ask you to leave."

Her words were enough to completely silence me. She pretty much paraphrased what I had said to her some time ago. I looked at the group that I had traveled with for so long, and couldn't stand it anymore. They were my friends, and I betrayed their trust by lying to them. Not knowing what to do, I turned and ran away, not looking back.

_End Flashback_

* * *

"And pretty much right after that, I managed to get caught by Lundgren's forces," I finished.

"They are your friends, Sean," said Chloe. "Yet, you did not beg them to forgive you and let you explain? I know that you are not with Lundgren, after all."

"I'm bad at social situations," I sighed. "Didn't come to mind until it was too late."

"So, the Lady Lyndis is battling without her strategist," sighed Chloe. "Perhaps there is no hope for us after all."

"I wouldn't go that far," I replied. "Lyn is strong. So are the rest of my friends. They'll be fine without a fake strategist like me anyway." I rested my head against the stone wall of the cell. "It's better this way. I'm not cut out for this whole war strategist thing. I can't be the one who decides who lives or dies." I leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. "Somehow it didn't even cross my mind until we had to fight Balin and Yogi once we reached the border. Didn't even consider it when we killed all those bandits. Guess that says something about me, huh?"

"Bandits? Would you hold sympathy for them?" asked the girl.

"Have you ever watched a man die, Chloe?" I asked.

"Well, no," she replied.

"I have," I sighed. "It's like, I watch as the life that began from when they were babies end. As they grew up, they made relationships with other people, and the number of those grew, and in dying, not only do they lose themselves, but part of everyone they've ever known. No matter who they are, in death, they are only human, and have interacted with other humans." I stopped and thought about what I said for a bit. "Huh... never thought I could be so melodramatic."

"I guess I've never thought of it that way," said Chloe. "I guess growing up under the arm of a general gives me a different view of the world."

"I guess the world I grew up in is really different from yours," I chuckled.

_A world that I don't know if I'll ever get back to..._

"So, you truly believe that the Lady Lyndis can defeat Lundgren?" asked Chloe.

"I know she can," I replied. "She never needed my help, really. Lyn's really strong, not just in her fighting, but as a person. She's been through a lot, but is still determined to see her grandfather. I know her. I believe in her."

_I love her..._

The thought just came in sequence to what I was saying, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I did, though. She may have made me leave the team, but she was still Lyn. She was still the girl that saved my life, and that protected me from the bad guys that wanted my head. She was still the girl that I talked to at night. She was still the one who had shown me both a hardened warrior and a vulnerable girl who had lost everyone she cared about. And apparently, she was still the girl that I was in love with.

Wow, I'm a sappy teenager.

I had to agree that it was for the best that I left, though. If Lyn had let me stay, the dynamic of the group would've been all out of whack. Who would trust the fake tactician anymore? At least this way, they could focus on taking Caelin back from Lundgren.

A shout from Balan interrupted my thoughts. "Hey! Who are-?"

_**WHAM!**_

A groan could be heard, and then the jingling of keys. The door opened, revealing a hooded young woman. She wore an indigo tunic and had a leather skirt underneath. Her legs were covered with leggings that ended with some leather boots. As she pulled her hood back, I could see her face better: shoulder-length pink-purplish hair covered one of her eyes, but overall a fairly attractive woman.

"Are you the tactician called Sean?" she asked me.

"Um... yeah," I replied. "Considering you beat up the guy who was guarding the cell, I'm going to assume that you're here to rescue me?"

She smiled. "Your assumption would be correct." She walked over to my shackles and used a piece of wire to unlock them. "I have been sent to ensure that you escape from Castle Caelin."

"Escape?" I asked. "Why?"

"The battle outside has been brutal," she told me. "The mercenaries of Lady Lyndis have pushed past many of Caelin's forces and have very nearly reached the castle. If Lundgren becomes desperate, he may try to use you as a hostage. That could mean the end of your life, and that is not allowed."

"Why?" I asked. "You're not one of Lyndis's Legions, and I doubt that they'd send someone they don't know to come rescue their fake tactician."

"You are an interesting one," smiled the woman. "Not many would doubt their own rescuer."

"Call me crazy, then," I replied.

"He accepts your rescue," said Chloe from behind me. "Please, take him away from here."

"Chloe, what are you doing?" I asked her.

"You don't deserve to be in here, Sean," she told me. "I... won't allow Lundgren to kill you. Please, leave."

"You don't deserve to be in here either," I told her. "I'm not leaving if that means you're stuck in here alone."

"Are you saying that if I let her go, you'll come as well?" asked the woman. "That's fine by me. So long as you come with me."

"Well..." I trailed off. Why was I hesitating? Did I want Lundgren to use me as a hostage? No, I didn't want to be a burden on my friends anymore, but something about all of this made me feel uneasy. Who would want me alive that much? A single name popped into my head: Darius.

But, if I declined the woman's offer, I'd also be forcing Chloe to stay in the cell with me. The poor girl didn't deserve that, she had already lost her father because of me. My decision was made at that.

"I'll come as long as Chloe gets to leave as well," I told the woman.

"Such a chivalrous boy," smiled the woman, taking the wire and opening Chloe's shackles.

"Thank you," said Chloe. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"

The woman answered after unlocking my shackles. "My name is Leila," she smiled.

* * *

"Am I releasing everyone in this prison?" Leila said with an exasperated voice. "I only have one lockpick, and Lundgren could send one of his men down any second!"

"Oh come on, it's just the chancellor," I sighed. "I may not be a tactician, but I know how to help my friends. Besides, I'm pretty sure I looked really horrible after Balan beat me up, and it was a miracle that Chloe knew how to use a heal staff."

"Oh, thank you," said the man as Leila undid his shackles.

"Are you alright, Chancellor Reissmann?" asked Chloe.

"I am. Thank you, Lady Chloe," the man smiled, and then looked at me. "And you must be the legendary tactician."

"L-Legendary?" I think my jaw nearly fell off my face. "No way, I'm no-"

"He is," Chloe interrupted me. "Chancellor, this is Sean. He is the one who traveled with the Lady Lyndis that we have all heard about."

"Chloe!" I groaned.

"It is an honor, Sean," Reissmann bowed.

"Th-The honor is mine," I replied. Okay, to be honest, it wasn't a bad feeling to be praised like that. It's not every day that I'm legendary. Still, I didn't deserve it, and when that thought reached my head, my guilt felt all the worse.

"Alright, can we leave now?" asked Leila, interrupting my thoughts. "My assignment was to rescue _you_, Sean. Not to save Caelin."

"Is killing two birds with one stone so bad?" I asked. "Anyway, Reissmann, I'm sure Lundgren's got more men down here who would be willing to fight. Do you know where they are?"

"Yes, of course," said Reissmann. "I'll release them myself." He walked over to the unconscious Balan and removed his sword from his belt. "You three can move on. I will shortly have reinforcements for Lady Lyndis. We will have Caelin back by the end of the day."

"Very well," said Leila. "Come Sean, Chloe. It is time for us to escape from this castle."

With that, the three of us made our way out of the prison. We passed by several unconscious guards along the way, presumably knocked out when Leila first got to the prison. I made a note to myself never to get on the bad side of that woman.

We made our way up the stairs to a walkway, with one side overlooking the throne room. "There's a passageway that leads to the mountains at the rear of the castle," said Leila. "There's a tunnel through them that will lead us safely away from the battle."

"That's good news," said Chloe. "It will feel wonderful to be outside again after living in that prison for so long."

"Yeah," I replied, and then stopped. I looked over toward the throne room, by chance, and saw _her_. She had her Mani Katti unsheathed, and was soaking wet from what was presumably the rain, and, by god, she was beautiful. "Lyn..." I whispered. She was facing Lundgren, who had his lance readied.

"Sean! Let's go!" shouted Leila.

"You poisoned my grandfather," said Lyn. "You've tried to kill me and my friends so many times, and forced us to kill so many of your own good men. I will not forgive you for this."

"Come now," smirked Lundgren. "Do you truly believe you can take the rule of Caelin after my brother? I am the only one worthy of its throne!"

"You just don't understand," growled Lyn. "This has nothing to do with the throne of Caelin!"

"This is my realm and you have entered without permission!" shouted Lundgren. "You will not leave these lands alive!" With that said, he readied his lance and threw it at Lyn. She managed to dodge and took the opportunity to charge at him, thrusting her blade forward and catching Lundgren on the shoulder. With a grunt of pain, Lundgren threw his fist into her stomach, knocking her off of him. I could see Lyn clutching her stomach in pain as she picked up her Mani Katti again.

"Leila, I have to go help her," I said. "Everyone else must be holding the entrance, so she's fighting alone."

"Tell me, how well can you fight?" asked Leila.

"I... can't," I replied.

"You came from Sacae all the way to Caelin without knowing how to fight?" asked Chloe.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

"Foolish is the word I'd choose," said Leila. "How can you possibly help her, even if I allowed you to?"

She was right. There had to be a way! I watched as Lundgren approached Lyn, his lance readied, and Lyn was getting up. The girl made her move, doing a battou-jutsu on the man, cutting a bit of his armor off. Lundgren countered by swinging his lance in a full arc. Because Lyn was too close, she only got with the blunt part, but it was enough to knock her over.

"He's too big," I realized. "Lyn will have to chop off most of his armor to make a fatal hit. She's really fast, much faster than him, but can't make a decisive blow on him. There has to be a way to-" I looked up at the ceiling, at an iron chandelier. "Well, there's an idea. Cliche, but an idea." I turned to Leila. "I'm going to need some help."

"No," said Leila. "I was to make sure you escape from this castle."

"Darius sent you, right?" I asked.

She paused, which was enough to confirm that I had hit the nail on the head. "Y-Yes," she answered.

"I know a little about how he thinks," I told her. "His purpose for my escape from Caelin was to ensure that I survive so he can have an apprentice. However, he also knows that if I go unwillingly, it is likely that I will escape from him. I've done it before. Darius wanted me to leave with you willingly, Leila. And that's not going to happen anymore. But, at the very least, I will still survive if you help me. So, what do you say?"

The thief just shook her head. "Darius had much praise about your brilliant mind, Sean," she smiled. "Very well, I will help you."

"Thanks, Leila," I smiled. I turned to the other girl I was with. "Thank you for everything, Chloe. I'm not going to keep you here. Leila told you where the passage was, so you can leave now."

"No," she replied.

"Chloe, ple-"

"I said NO!" she shouted. Well, that shut me up really well. "I'm not leaving without you, Sean. Also, I... I want to help defeat Lundgren as well. It's what my father would've wanted."

"The lady has spoken," said Leila. "What do you want us to do?"

"Okay, Lundgren's armor makes him nearly invincible, but also really slow," I explained. "Look above him. There's a chandelier, which is held by a rope on the other end of this walkway. We cut the rope, and the chandelier crashes down on him without him being able to get away."

"Do you think that will work?" asked Chloe. "It seems so... simple."

"He's the tactician," said Leila. "Very well, I will cut the rope."

We ran over to where the chandelier was tied up, and Leila took out her dagger and began cutting. I watched as Lundgren thrust his lance at Lyn, which she dodged, and countered with an upwards slash of the Mani Katti.

"Just keep him there, Lyn," I whispered.

"This rope is rather tough," muttered Leila, sawing away at it. "It may take a little longer than I thought to cut it."

"Just go as fast as you can," I told her. "Lyn's keeping him busy."

Lyn made another lunge at Lundgren, but the general was ready, and managed to use the long reach of his lance to force her out of the direct attack and to the side. He then swung, and the tip of the lance made a nice cut on Lyn's leg. She cried out in pain, clutching her leg.

"Lyn!" I shouted, and then clapped my mouth shut. Both Lundgren and Lyn looked up to see me. "Okay, made my presence known a bit too soon," I sighed.

"You!" shouted Lundgren. "You escaped from my prison?!"

"Yeah, apparently I did," I shrugged.

"It was my mistake to keep you alive, boy," said Lundgren. "I'll kill you myself!"

"Leila, any time now..." I muttered to her.

"There's the escaped prisoner!" I heard another voice shout. I looked and saw a mage begin casting a Fire spell at Leila.

"Look out!" I shouted, but Chloe was faster, and tackled Leila out of the way of the fireball... which hit the rope. I watched as the part of the rope that Leila was cutting charred, and the strength of it quickly weakened. Leila got up and landed a hard kick on the face of the mage, whose Fire tome flew out of his hands onto the floor next to me, and I picked it up. The rope finally weakened enough, and snapped, sending the chandelier crashing down on Lundgren. The man didn't have time to move, and was knocked out by the falling iron.

"It worked," whispered Chloe. "Sean! Your plan worked!"

"Good job knocking me away, Chloe," smiled Leila. "Well, boy, you did it. Lundgren will not be standing up for a while."

"It's the irony of the situation that gets to me," I said, and then realized that Lyn was still down there. I ran down the nearest set of stairs to the throne room, where Lyn sat clutching her leg. "Lyn!" I shouted. She looked at me.

"Sean," she whispered. I knelt down next to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Lundgren's lackeys caught me and imprisoned me," I told her. "But I got out, and I saw you fighting. I... I really wanted to help you, and, well, things kind of worked out for once."

"You wanted to help me?" asked Lyn.

"I promised that I wouldn't let anyone die, remember?" I replied. "Now, as long as no one outside has died yet, I think I've kept that promise."

"Sean, thank you," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"About what?" I asked. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I lied to you for so long about being a tactician. I promise, Lyn, I'll tell you everything about myself. No more lies, okay?"

"Okay," she replied. "It's cold..." she said.

"Oh god, you're soaking wet," I realized. I unbuttoned my cloak and put it over her. "There, should make things a little better." I then managed take a good look at her. She was so beautiful, and nearly passed out from exhaustion. Somehow, showing me her vulnerable side made me feel like she trusted me again. I brushed a stray hair from her face. "Lyn, I'm glad you're safe."

"I want to say the same thing, Sean," Lyn replied. "I suppose this can be treated as a repayment for finding you on the plains?"

"I suppose so," I chuckled. "The plains. It seems so long ago, doesn't it?"

"I never thought that things would turn out like this," said Lyn. "But, I'm very happy to have met you, Sean. I don't regret the times we had together." She moved her hand to rest on top of mine, and my face was probably like a tomato at that point.

"Ahem," I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I looked up to see Chloe holding her heal staff. I take that back, _now_ my face was probably like a tomato. "Shall I treat her wounds now or do you two want to be alone a little longer?"

"Heh, sorry," I chuckled and moved aside. "Lyn, this is Chloe, General Eagler's daughter."

"Eagler's... daughter?" asked Lyn. Chloe pointed the tip of her staff at Lyn and closed her eyes. The staff began to glow and Lyn suddenly seemed to have more energy. "Thank you, Chloe," she said. "I'm... very sorry about what happened to your father."

"I do not blame you, milady," replied Chloe. "Lundgren kidnapped me, and forced my father to fight you to save my life. It was not your fault."

"The loss of family is a tragedy I would not wish on anyone," said Lyn. "I never want the despair I faced to be given to any other soul."

"I am sorry to hear about that," said Chloe.

"Hey, where's Leila?" I asked. Chloe and I looked around and realized that the thief had disappeared. "Damn, I wanted to thank her."

"I think you'll meet her again," smiled Chloe. Just then, two familiar knights rode into the throne room, with more familiar faces following them.

"Milady!" shouted Kent, dismounting his horse. He then looked at me. "Sean..."

"H-Hey, guys," I waved. "I guess you all made it?"

"Yes, we have battled valiantly!" smiled Sain, but his expression changed after a moment. "Wait, what are you doing here, Sean?"

"He rescued me," said Lyn. "Sean was imprisoned by Lundgren, but he escaped, and then rescued me."

"Ha! You escaped?" laughed Wallace. "Laddie, you never cease to amaze me!"

"He is still a liar," growled Rath. Yeah, rub it in, jerk.

"Oh, just let him be," grumbled Serra. "He's not a bad person! Plus, we all made it here! I say we forgive him!"

"The girl may be annoying, but I have to agree with her," said Matthew.

"Yep!" smiled the pink-haired cleric. "Wait... what do you mean 'annoying'?!"

"What I've been trying to tell you for the longest time," grumbled Erk. All of us shared a laugh.

"I-I think we should forgive him," said Florina. "H-He never meant any harm."

"And we never would've made it here without him," said Dorcas.

"St. Elimine does teach forgiveness," smiled Lucius. "I believe Sean deserves a second chance."

"I never had a doubt in my mind about Sean's character," said Ninian. Nils nodded as well.

Rath sighed. "I suppose if Lyn trusts him, then I will too." He then glared at me. "I will not let my guard down, though."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, jerk," I replied. I was happy, my friends were back, and they all forgave me for lying to them. All that time together was not for nothing, I had made real friends. And I was perfectly content in the wonderful moment.

Which of course meant that it wouldn't last.

I felt a familiar cold hand clasp around my mouth and a cold blade pressed against my throat.

"You have all trespassed on my realm!" Lundgren shouted, pressing the blade closer to my windpipe. "If you wish for this boy to live, leave now!"

"If you kill him, Lundgren, we will make sure that you do not have a peaceful death," said Kent.

"Let him go," said Sain, readying his lance. Everyone else got into a fighting stance as well.

"I will not let you harm him, Lundgren," growled Lyn angrily. "I will kill you myself if you lay a hand on him." My friends and Lundgren seemed to be at a stalemate. We were superior in number, and in power, but somehow, because of me, Lundgren still had a hold on all of them. I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to be a burden on them.

And I had a plan, just in case this happened.

I pulled out the Fire tome of the mage that burned the rope. I began wriggling about, but Lundgren had my mouth covered. I did the one thing I could think of...

"OUCH!" shouted Lundgren, letting my mouth go. "You little savage, you bit me!"

"Your hand smelled horrible," I replied. "And the taste was even worse." I opened the book, and Erk realized what I was doing right away.

"Sean! Stop!" he shouted. "You have no control over magic! Using the Fire tome like that is dangerous for both Lundgren _and_ you!" I heard his words, but didn't pay attention. I read the chant, and dropped the book, which began glowing red and shaking violently.

"SEAN!" cried Lyn.

"No! This is suicide, Sean!" shouted Chloe.

"Fool!" screamed Lundgren. "You've doomed us both!"

"And that's fine with me," I smiled. I looked at everyone, who were all staring at me in horror. I smiled and breathed what was possibly the last thing that I would ever say to them. "Goodbye, my fri-"

**BOOM!**

* * *

_End Chapter_

_A/N: Two months of waiting for a new chapter, and I end it with a cliffhanger. But don't worry, Lyn's story will not end with an ambiguous fate. I am most definitely going to write an ending. The original plan was to end it on this chapter, but after I got this great idea to really diverge from the game chapter, but still flow with it, it kind of went out of hand and ended up being way too long. However, I kind of liked how this one turned out, though how good it is should really mostly be decided by the readers._

_I also realize that I have an annoying habit of adding original characters to the storyline that weren't present in the game. In this one, I introduced Chloe, General Eagler's daughter. I looked back at the dialogue from the previous chapter and realized that we never actually found out about Eagler's motivations, so Chloe was born. I also added Balan, the brother of Balin, just for the sake of making connections between characters. And then there's Darius and Kal..._

_Anyway, this is the final chapter corresponding to the game, so the next chapter will be the final chapter in Trials of a Teenage Tactician, and I do plan on writing a sequel. I threw in so many loose ends that really need to be tied, so sequel will be written eventually. Until then, review! _


	13. Epilogue: The End of a Journey

_A/N: Now two months later, the finale of Lyn's Tale! I'm seriously impressed with the number of reviews for the previous chapter, and it almost made me consider just continuing this story rather than start a new one. However, I also realized that it would be a while before I get Eliwood's/Hector's tale going, and so I thought that having a complete story for now should be fine. Plus, the separate tales feel more to me like two separate stories anyway, and it wouldn't feel as right to me if I lumped it all into one long story._

_Anyway, without further ado, the final chapter of Trials of a Teenage Tactician!_

**Trials of a Teenage Tactician**

The End of a Journey

_Black. Everything was Black. This was where I found myself after pulling that stunt that probably killed me. I looked around, and nothing. There was absolutely nothing in this darkness._

_"Oh great, I'm in limbo," I muttered._

_"It has been a long time, Sean," I heard a voice from behind me._

_"I know that accent," I said, turning around. "Professor Dumas!"_

_The professor clapped as his form became much clearer to me. Still had the beard, still had the pipe, still had the vest. Yep, definitely the guy who sent me to Elibe. "Perceptive as always, my boy. How are you feeling?"_

_"Aside from the fact that I'm probably dead, just peachy."_

_"You have, no doubt, been busy for some time."_

_"Oh, not really. Just running into bandits, assassins, and soldiers that I was forced to kill. This was a hell of a place to send me to."_

_"Well, you did get to meet the girl, right?"_

_"Lyn? Yeah, I did."_

_"I kept my word. You defeated me in chess, and I brought you two together."_

_"Yeah, Lyn's awesome, and I really like her, but still, you could've warned me about the whole parallel world thing. That's a pretty major detail."_

_"Would you have agreed if I had told you?"_

_"Honestly, I probably wouldn't have believed you and done it anyway, but then the blame would've been on me."_

_"Very true."_

_"Anyway, I'm guessing you're my guide to heaven or whatever, so I guess I'm ready to go now."_

_"Heaven?"_

_"Well, yeah. I'm dead, aren't I? Wait, don't tell me I'm going to-"_

_"No, of course not, my boy!" laughed Dumas. "You're not dead, Sean. I'm merely astral projecting myself into your unconscious mind so I can speak to you."_

_"I'm not dead?"_

_"No. You are very much alive."_

_"And you're astral projecting?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And this is my unconscious mind?"_

_"Yes."_

_"...Wow, my mind is really boring."_

_"It's unconscious."_

_"Well, you'd think there'd be some, I don't know, scenery here. I didn't think there was nothing back here."_

_"Believe me, thinking about it won't make it any different."_

_"Right. You're a strange person, Professor."_

_"So I've been told."_

_"Anyway... There's something that's been bothering me."_

_"What is it?"_

_"Why me? I mean, I get that I'm supposed to be some tactician who's going to somehow save Elibe, and that I beat you in chess, but it doesn't make sense. You could've picked someone a bit more... athletic, for example. I'd be dead from exhaustion by now if I didn't have Lyn and everyone with me."_

_"But you're alive."_

_"Well, yeah, but-"_

_"I understand that you have suffered a great deal, Sean. I understand that it would have been easier if you were physically stronger. However, Elibe will not be saved by strength alone. Your role is to be a tactician, not a warrior, and so I judged how worthy you are based on your own mind, not your muscle."_

_"Just because I beat you at chess doesn't mean that I've got the greatest mind in the world or anything. It's not like I haven't been beaten before. I'm pretty average compared to a lot of people."_

_"No, you are correct. As far as intelligence goes, there are many people who surpass you. However, there are very few who can accomplish what you did these past weeks."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You found yourself in a world entirely different from your own. Immediately, you were able to adapt to it by meeting people. Lyndis did find you by chance, but you were able to earn her trust very quickly. You have done the same with everyone else that you traveled with, and all of them have since become trustworthy allies. Because of this, as you mentioned, you are still alive. You see, Sean, I deemed you worthy because I saw both your mind and your heart. You do not have as much physical strength as you may like, and you may consider yourself socially inept, but it does not mean that you are not kind, and that is what your friends saw in you. You were sent to Elibe in order to save it from a world-shattering catastrophe, Sean, but that does not mean that you are expected to carry that weight alone."_

_"A world-shattering catastrophe?"_

_"That's right."_

_"And I take it that Lundgren was not this world-shattering catastrophe?"_

_"No, though in his defeat, you have taken the first step in averting it."_

_"That was the first step?"_

_"Yes."_

_"What's the second step?"_

_"It is something you must find on your own."_

_"Okay... What is the catastrophe I'm supposed to avert?"_

_"It is something you must find on your own."_

_"How do I avert a catastrophe that I don't know about?"_

_"It is something you-"_

_"Okay, seriously. I'm supposed to save Elibe from some cataclysm, right? How do I do that when I don't know what it is? You obviously know about it, Professor, so please fill me in!"_

_"I cannot."_

_"Why?!"_

_"Because the result of such an action could cause something different and potentially far more dangerous to happen."_

_"...Oh."_

_"I could try to explain it, if you-"_

_"No, no, it's fine. I can find out on my own. Wouldn't want temporal paradoxes and all that stuff to destroy the universe. God knows, there's enough sci-fi out there saying the apocalypse will be caused by something like that."_

_"Good."_

_"And I take it that going home isn't an option for me anymore."_

_"There is no way for you to return at this point in time. There will be after the catastrophe is averted, though."_

_"Okay... So, just tell me this. Will I be able to avert this catastrophe using only my intuition anymore?"  
_

_"Unfortunately, no," sighed the Professor. "You have done incredibly well so far, Sean, but I'm afraid that you will need more to prepare for what is yet to come."_

_"Great."_

_"Don't fret, my young friend. I believe that you have what it takes to save the world."_

_"Thanks, Professor," I replied._

_"Now... It is time for you to awaken, Sean. There are people waiting for you."_

_"Right. I guess I'll talk to you later, then, Professor."_

_"Please, call me Edmond."_

_"Right, Edmond... Nah, that sounds weird."_

_"Very well, Professor it is then."_

_"Right, I'll talk to you later, Professor."_

* * *

I opened my eyes, and it took a few seconds for them to get used to the light. I could finally take in my surroundings: I was in a large bed, which was in a room with a fireplace and paintings hanging on the walls. A large rug covered the floor, and there was a window letting sunlight into the room, and there was an open door leading to a hallway.

"I guess it's not raining anymore," I said to myself. "And apparently I'm not dead. How long have I been asleep?" I tried getting up, but a pain shot through my body as my back left the bed, and I fell back down. "Evidently, I've been asleep for a while now."

"Oh! You're awake!" I heard a voice from the door. A familiar face walked into the room.

"Reissmann," I said. "I'm guessing we won?"

"Yes," he replied. "That was a very reckless thing you did, boy. Using a Fire tome without any control of magic, you could've died."

"Another freakin' miracle then," I chuckled. "I survived two of those. Well, I'm glad that I could help, though."

"Er... yes," Reissmann replied. "After the blast from the tome knocked Lundgren off of his feet, it was difficult for him to stand again. It gave the Lady Lyndis the chance to land a decisive blow."

"Hold up, you mean the Fire Tome didn't finish it?"

"No. Evidently, the tome you picked up was nearly finished, and so there wasn't very much magic left in it to be released. It knocked Lundgren off balance, but did no real damage. But it was still fortunate that there was very little left in it, seeing as you survived. However, that is not to say that you were not injured in the process," Reissmann replied. "You were in flames. It took Lady Serra _and _Lady Chloe, along with a travelling healer several days to completely treat you, and even then you were unconscious for a week."

"A week?"

"It is fortunate that Lady Serra and Lady Chloe were able to use their healing abilities on you so quickly," said Reissmann. "Otherwise, you may have been asleep indefinitely."

"So, basically, I didn't need to do the thing with the Fire tome at all," I sighed.

"No, you didn't."

"Well... shit," I muttered. Great, I did that to be all heroic and all I really did was worry everyone. Some savior I turned out to be. "Did we make it in time to save Lyn's grandfather?"

"Lord Hausen is doing much better," Reissmann replied. "He is nearly able to walk on his own. Lady Lyndis is well-versed in medicinal herbs and was able to undo the effects of the poison. I suppose it comes from her Sacaen heritage."

"That's good to hear," I said. "Lyn really is amazing."

"She is," laughed Reissmann. "She is exhausted, though, having to tend to both you and her grandfather for the past week."

"I'm sure," I replied. "Wait, Lyn took care of me too?"

"Yes, she did," I heard another voice from the doorway. The familiar green-haired girl made her way inside and sat on the bed beside me. "Chancellor, may I have a moment?"

"Of course, Lady Chloe," Reissmann bowed and left the room.

"How are you feeling, Sean?" asked Chloe.

"Like I really need some food," I answered. "So, Reissmann tells me that the Fire tome thing didn't really work?"

"No, it didn't," smiled Chloe. "Seeing as you aren't really a tactician, I think that it's understandable. You only wanted to help."

"And I ended up in a coma for a week," I sighed. "This is so typical."

Chloe laughed. "According to your friends, you have this attitude very often. Dismissing your own accomplishments is something you enjoy doing."

"I guess you've been talking to them, then?"

"Quite a bit," said Chloe. "They're a fine group, those friends of yours. It made me wonder how they could abandon you so easily, so I asked them. And, they all told me the same story."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Now I was curious, my friends had an answer to that question?

"They told me that when you didn't have an answer to who you really were, you ran off," she told me. "They immediately felt guilty about what they had said to you, and tried to find you, but you were already gone." Chloe smiled. "They never lost faith in you, and believed that you would come back."

"Everyone..." I whispered. "So, that's what happened..."

"Lyndis has told me of your nightmares," said Chloe. "And she wants you to know that you don't have to face everything alone. Everyone is there to take care of you, just as you take care of them."

"Chloe, thanks," I replied. I felt so relieved after she told me that. After everything that happened, they trusted me to the very end. A growl from my stomach interrupted my thoughts. "Alright, I'm apparently starved. When's mealtime?"

Chloe laughed. "I'll go tell the servants to bring you something from the kitchen." She got up to walk out the door, but stopped and turned to look back at me. "Sean, I'm very glad that you're alright." And with that said, she left the room. And if my brain wasn't overheating, I'm sure I would've had a halfway-decent answer to that.

* * *

"And I thought Sain had a stomach," laughed Kent, watching me scarf down the food. "It is good that you have an appetite, Sean. It shows you are nearly recovered."

"Thmrkf, Krumdt," I tried replying while chewing on the succulent duck leg. I took the time to swallow before talking again. "I mean, thanks, Kent." I picked up the fork again and started working on the potatoes. "So, I hope you guys forgive me."

"For what? Lying about being a tactician?" asked Sain. "Of course we-"

"Unfortunately, I cannot fully forgive you, Sean," Kent interrupted. I stopped chewing when I heard him say that.

"Kent!" shouted Sain. "Hasn't Sean proven himself? He does not wish us any harm!"

"Still, I cannot understand it," Kent explained. "Sean has been with us for so long, and has had many chances to tell us that he is not who he says he is. For a man to keep a lie for so long from his friends, that is something I cannot forgive."

"But, Kent, if I told you, what would've happened?" I asked. "I'm really sorry for lying, but honestly, if you didn't believe that I was a tactician, I..."

"Did you think that we would leave you behind?" asked Kent. "Sean, we are friends. I hope that you feel the same way, and that you will be honest with us. I will not discount your accomplishments on our journey here, and I do not believe that you have any ill intentions toward us or Caelin, but until I understand that you trust us as much as we trusted you, I cannot forgive you."

"Kent..." I whispered. The red knight had a pretty smooth tongue, I had to admit. Well, I suppose it was good to know that he didn't see me as an enemy, and he was pretty reasonable about the whole ordeal. "You drive a hard bargain, my friend. But, I assure you, I trust you all with my life. And, I'm ready to tell you guys everything."

"This is far more complicated than it needs to be," chuckled Sain. "Sean, you have my trust, and I wholeheartedly believe that I have yours as well."

"Sure," I laughed. "I have to agree, Sain. That was way easier."

We all shared a laugh, which was soon interrupted by another familiar voice.

"Sean's awake! Me first!"

And with that said, we all turned toward the door and saw Serra, Erk, Wil, and Lucius crash into the room.

"Ouch," grumbled Erk. "Serra, you did not need to shove us all in!"

"But I wanted to see Sean," the girl whined.

"Serra, your staff is digging into my side," said Wil. The girl giggled as she moved it.

"Wil, could you please stand up now?" asked Lucius. "I would very much like to see over the bed, and it is difficult with you sitting on my back."

"Um... Good morning, guys," I called, trying my hardest not to laugh.

"I see you're feeling better," said Wil. "I'm glad. You had us worried, Sean."

"Yes, because of you, I had to stay with _her_ for so much longer," muttered Erk. "Otherwise, we would've left for Ostia already, and I would never have to see her again."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, Sean!" smiled Serra. We all laughed as Erk grumbled something under his breath.

"Don't be put off by him," laughed Wil. "We're all glad that you're okay."

"And, we wanted to apologize," Lucius continued. "You may not have been a real tactician, but you are still our friend."

"That's right," said Dorcas, walking into the room. "I have not forgotten how you helped protect my wife, Sean. Had I known that you were not what we thought you were, I still would not have abandoned you."

"Dorcas..." I whispered. The axe-wielder smiled.

"That is all I have to say," he smiled. "Now, Natalie is still waiting in Bern for me, so I think it's high time that I returned to her."

"Aw, Dorcas, you're leaving?" asked Serra.

"Yes," he replied. "I will miss all of you, but our journey is finished and I have a loved one at home who needs me now. I wanted to stay so that I would have a chance to say goodbye to you, Sean, and to thank you for everything."

"It's... nothing..." I told him, but honestly, it was really hard for me to find the right words. "I really... it wasn't anything that special. I just did what I thought was right at the time."

"It was more than that, Sean," said Dorcas. "You may not have believed that you were ever a tactician, but in my eyes, I see the finest mind and the bravest heart in Elibe, and it was truly an honor to fight by your side."

"S-Stop..." I whispered. "I'm not special, I'm just..."

"Do not undermine yourself, Sean," said Lucius. "There are few people in this world who have both a mind like yours and a true heart alongside it. That in itself makes you something special."

I paused, taking in what Lucius just said to me. The first thought that came to mind was about exactly how corny this conversation was getting, but then I saw that everyone was looking at me with such sincere eyes, like they really trusted me again. The professor was right. I had made trustworthy allies... no, good friends, on this journey to Caelin. It was probably one of the best feelings I could've had at that moment.

"Shit... Something's in my eye..." I sniffed.

There was a pause, before Sain started snickering, and the rest of the group joined in, resulting in a room laughing at what I had just said. Well, in retrospect, it _was_ pretty funny.

"Grandfather, you should really go back to bed," I heard a familiar voice from outside the door. The laughter died down once it was clearer.

"Nonsense, Lyndis," another voice chuckled. "I know that you want to see your friend, and I want to meet him."

"But Grandfather, he's-" Lyn stopped when she opened the door and saw everyone inside. She was still the same, wearing the same Sacaean clothing, and her hair was still tied back, and I could still catch her familiar scent.

"H-Hey, Lyn..." I said.

"Sean..." she whispered.

"Is this him?" the voice asked. The source of the voice revealed itself as he walked into the room. He was an old man, with a similar facial structure to Lundgren, and was wearing a noble lord's clothing along with a green overcoat. "You are Sean, the tactician, am I correct?"

"You're... Lyn's grandfather?" I asked.

"Sean, you must address him as Marquess Caelin," said Kent. He turned toward the lord. "I apologize for his rudeness, my liege, but-"

"Think nothing of it, Sir Kent," smiled the marquess. "It is but a name, there does not need to be such formality from this boy, especially after everything that has happened. Besides, I believe that from now on, some standards should be more open, including the standards of formalities. If I had but accepted this before, my granddaughter may have faced less troubling times."

"Well said, my liege," smiled Sain. Well good, at least I didn't make an idiot of myself that time.

"Um, Sean, there is a piece of duck hanging on the side of your mouth," said Wil.

Never mind...

* * *

It took some time, but I was up and walking again soon enough. By that time, most everyone was gone. Dorcas had left for Bern later that day to be with his wife again. Reissmann helped arrange an entourage for Serra so Erk wouldn't need to escort her by himself, and they both left for Ostia. Matthew had disappeared before I woke up, and Wallace had sent a letter to Caelin, saying that he wanted to find 'a cause worthy for his blade', whatever that meant. Finally, Nils and Ninian had left a couple of days before I woke up, leaving me a thank you note. I wanted to tell them to stay in Caelin, realizing that the Black Fang was still out there, but they were long gone before I could do anything about it. Because it would be a waste of time to go after them without any sense of where the hell they were, I just kept hoping that Darius wouldn't find them.

Of course, much of Lyndis's Legion stayed in Caelin as well. Florina became a full-fledged Pegasus Knight in service to Caelin, much to both her's and Lyn's delight, and Wil had arranged to stay as one of Caelin's archers. Lucius decided stayed in Caelin as well, studying in one of the nearby Elimine monastaries. Kent and Sain, of course, were still with us.

As for our favorite jerk, I didn't find out what happened to him until the celebration of Lord Hausen's wellness and the arrival of his rightful heir, Lyndis.

And that's where the story gets kind of interesting again...

"I must say, green certainly suits you," said Reissmann, adjusting my collar. "There, you look perfect."

"That's debatable," I muttered, looking at myself the mirror. I wasn't used to formal dress. Well, that's not entirely true, but the concept of "formal attire" was fairly different in Elibe than from where I came from. Gone was the suit and black tie. I got to see what I looked like in a dark green silk tunic, with a gold scarf, white leggings, and dark blue gloves and boots. I felt like I was a video game character.

"I think you look rather handsome, Sean," chuckled Reissmann. "Now, let us head toward the ballroom. The celebration awaits."

"Y-Yeah..." I replied, and followed him out of my room. A possible question to ask at this point is, "Was I nervous?" Well, let's list the things there were to be nervous about.

First off, I was supposed to walk around the ballroom and talk to different people. The room would be filled with knights and nobles with their lady friends. Social events being one of my greatest fears, that's one point toward nervousness.

Next, we have the dress code. I know, it's probably best to trust the Lycian nobles and tailors about this, but I had this tingling doubt about the way I was dressed. Was I too formal? Was this a "black scarf" event? Now, this was only a tingling feeling, so that point teeters on the line between nervousness and... well, the opposite.

Finally, the dancing. That's right, dancing. After Lord Hausen introduced his heir and everyone was all happy, the court of Caelin decided to hold a ball. Like I said before, I'm eighteen years old, and have never had a girlfriend. I didn't even have a date to prom, for god's sake! So, not really much opportunity or need for me to learn to dance, and I sure as hell had no idea how to dance with a girl. And I've heard the stories. Guy steps on the girl's feet, guy dances around too much, guy grabs the wrong part of the girl... the list goes on. For some reason, I've heard very few stories about embarassing girl partners. Well, experience, being something I didn't have, was not going to help me. Anyway, this adds quite a bit of weight to the nervousness side of things.

So, to answer that possible question, I was very nervous. Nearly to the point of sweating.

And it didn't help that the ballroom had so many people either. Great, I was supposed to stand in front of everybody and try not to look like an idiot. As if I hadn't done that enough.

"You are Sean, correct?" someone said from behind me. I turned and saw a beautiful young blonde woman in a red dress.

"Y-Yes, do I know you?" I asked. She responded by slapping me across the face. "Somehow, I don't think I deserved that."

"You are the tactician responsible for my husband's death," she whispered, and broke down into tears. "Balin will never see me again, and will never see his child, because of you."

"I-I'm sorry," I replied. "I never wanted him to die, believe me."

"I do..." she sobbed. "But... it doesn't make things any easier..."

"I know," I told her. "I know that nothing I do will get you to forgive me. But, next time you visit Balin's grave, please tell him that I'm sorry. He didn't deserve what I gave him, and I never wanted that to happen. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She just looked at me silently and stepped back, as if she was afraid of me. It was as if she was expecting the one who killed her husband to be less... me. I guess it made her afraid that Balin died for no reason. But, I couldn't live with myself if I became what she thought I was. With that, she left me without a word.

"That was really awkward," I sighed. No one else seemed to want to talk to me after witnessing that, so I just decided to head to the terrace overlooking the front gate to get some fresh air.

"Sean!" I heard a familiar voice call from behind me as I made my way there.

"Hey..." I started, and trailed off to take in the image of the girl who had greeted me. "...Chloe." I was, for lack of a better word, flabbergasted at exactly how the she looked in her indigo gown. She was stunning, and I felt my face starting to turn red.

"It is good to see that you're here," she smiled. "I was afraid that you would still be in bed."

"Nah, I'm fine now," I replied. "I guess I owe it to you and Serra, right? You two did save my life."

Chloe's expression changed to a sad smile. "Actually, we were only able to barely keep you alive," she told me. "With only our abilities, we would not have been able to completely heal you."

"Wh-What?" I asked. "But, how-?"

"That would be thanks to me," another voice came from behind me. I turned, and my jaw dropped at the sight of the one who had apparently saved me from the brink of death. I recognized her immediately, and the older woman had a coy smile on her face at the sight of my shocked expression. "My name is Ursula. I happened to be traveling near Caelin when I was told that an experienced healer was needed to rescue a young tactician. How are you feeling, Sean?"

"G-good," I replied. What the hell was _she_ doing there?

"That's good to hear," she smiled. "It was fortunate that I was here, otherwise you may have died."

"Yeah, so I've heard," I replied.

"Ursula is amazing," said Chloe. "She completely healed you when we couldn't go any further, and all she asked for was a place to stay in the castle for a few nights."

"Yes, it is a beautiful castle," said Ursula. "I believe I've spent hours just wandering about, and have seen just about everything, from the barracks to the bedchambers. If I were born into royalty, I would want to live in a castle exactly like this one."

I managed to take the hint. Ursula had seen everything inside the castle, and knew exactly where to strike should I reveal who she actually was. Considering what Darius had told me about Ursula, I doubted that Caelin would fare well against her without suffering more casualties, and god knows they've had enough of that.

However, with Nils and Ninian gone, my guess was that the Black Fang itself would not attack Caelin, unless they were willing to instigate a full-on war with all of Lycia. The thought at least gave me a bit of comfort, knowing that everyone was safe as long as I kept my big mouth shut.

"Chloe, could you please get my bag?" asked Ursula. "I think it is about time I should take my leave, seeing as Sean has made a full recovery."

"Of course, Lady Ursula," smiled Chloe, and left the two of us alone.

Great, as if I wasn't nervous enough already.

"Do I make you uneasy?" asked Ursula.

"Oh, gee, you're only the lover of the man who kidnapped me, and is apparently able to take out all of my friends single-handedly," I replied. "Yeah, a bit uneasy I'd say."

Ursula smiled. "Do not worry, Sean. I am merely here as a messenger, and a healer after Leila relayed the news of your condition to me."

"Figured as much," I grumbled. "So, where's Darius?"

"He is still in Kathelet, but will return to Bern first thing in the morning," said Ursula. "However, he has decided to return and continue his stay in Lycia for some time longer."

"Really," I sighed. "I guess that means he still wants an apprentice?"

"That is correct," the blue-haired woman smiled. "After you escaped from us, Darius was convinced that you were worthy enough to inherit his legacy. However, Darius is not so rash as to attempt to take you by force. Many have tried that tactic and have failed. He also realizes that your friends will find it very strange for you to just suddenly leave, but he does have a plan."

"And that would be?"

"To have you enroll in the Royal Academy of Pherae," smiled Ursula. "Darius has been accepted as an instructor there, and so, your enrollment will ensure that you are near him. As long as you accept him as a private instructor, he will be able to teach you. What do you say?"

"The Academy?" I asked. "Man, everyone seems to want me to go there. Alright, I'll probably regret asking this, but what if I don't accept?"

"Well, the Royal Academy of Pherae is among the most prestigious military schools in Elibe," said Ursula. "In fact, some of the greatest generals in Lycian history were graduates from there. Now, suppose Lord Darius had reason to believe that the academy was considered a threat to our nation of Bern. Suppose he discovered that Lycia is training its young ones to become a powerful military force in the near future, and Bern is in danger."

"You'd destroy the school?" I asked. "Because Darius wants an apprentice?!"

"We are working for Bern's best interest," said the woman. "The world needs to know nothing more. Though, the destruction of the Academy may easily be taken as a declaration of war. Believe me, Sean, with Lord Darius as Bern's strategist, Lycia will fall if they are invaded by our great nation."

"You guys are monsters..." I growled. "Is Darius seriously willing to start a war just because I don't want to be his apprentice?!"

"Are you willing to see what he may do?" asked Ursula.

I hate this game so much.

"Fine..." I sighed. "When do I leave?"

"In one week, an escort from the court of Pherae will arrive in Caelin to take you there," she replied. "Darius has already informed Lord Eliwood of your ambitions, and you have been accepted into the school without question. I expect a single week will be enough time for you to say good-bye to your friends?"

"Y-Yeah," I whispered. "That'll be fine, I guess."

"Good," smiled Ursula. "Then, I shall take my leave. Good-bye, Sean. I expect that I will see you again soon."

Great...

I sighed, and walked toward the balcony over-looking the outside of the castle. Here I was, the supposed savior of Elibe, the guy who would save the world from a disatrous cataclysm, and I still had no idea how to deal with these stupid situations. Darius was Bern's best tactician, and I'm pretty sure when it came down to it, he would be able to outsmart me every step of the way if I ever had to face him. We were even in chess only because it was a game I was used to, but if it came down to a battle, with my friends as the pieces...

No, I needed this. It was hard for me to accept, but this was something that I knew that was required. I wasn't just a teenage nerd anymore. I was a teenage nerd who needed to become a true tactician. Darius had the experience, and the strategies, and the ability. He had the discipline that I desperately needed on top of what I already had. A world-shattering catastrophe wouldn't be like fighting a bunch of bandits, or defending our own lives from some assassins or soldiers. It would need so much more. And Darius could give me that...

But, I didn't want to leave.

I thought about everyone who had stuck with me until the end, my friends that I had made on this journey. I had just woken up from a coma and was able to walk without stumbling again, and now, I had to leave them. I had to leave _her..._

"I guess I'll have to say good-bye to everyone soon," I whispered to myself, laying my head down on my arms as I leaned on the balcony railing. "Lyn..."

It was just then that I noticed someone near the front of the castle. It was kind of dark outside, but I could make out a tall figure and a horse. The man wore a bandana, and, in the flickering torch-light from the front gate, I saw that the horse had Sacaen embroidery on it...

"Rath!" I realized. I hadn't seen the jerk in a while, and so I immediately ran out of the ballroom toward the front gate of the castle. I managed to catch the stoic nomad as he was mounting his horse. "Rath!" I called. "Wait up!"

The nomad turned to look at me. "Sean," he said quietly. "What do you want?"

"Hello to you too, jerk," I muttered. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "But, I do not think that I will be staying in a castle any longer. It does not suit me."

"Rath, you don't have to go," I told him. "Look, I know that we were never on the best of terms..."

"That is an understatement," he replied.

"Right," I sighed. "Still, you were a real help to us. More than I ever was. And, I'm sure Lyn will be much happier if you stayed. You know, she'll need someone, and I know you can be there when she needs you."

"Lyn does not need me," he said. "Caelin will protect its princess. There is no place for someone like me."

"Oh, for god's sake!" I shouted. "Stop being so miserable all the time! It's driving me nuts! You act like a jerk, but I know you care! You care about Lyn! She's the last of her tribe, Rath! She needs someone to talk to about her Sacaen heritage, and the only one who has that qualification is you!"

"Then I hope you are as eloquent with her as you just were with me," Rath replied as he mounted his horse. I stopped, taking in what he just said. "Lyn does not need me, when she has you. She has told you about her tribe, and has told you about herself, and her lost love."

"Jeez, how good are your ears?" I asked, surprised that he heard everything we said that night.

"The point is, boy, that I am not as much a part of her life as you are," he told me. "Lyn can take care of herself. She's strong, and will not need protection from me. If she needs someone to talk to, she has the pegasus knight, and you. There's no place for me here."

"I... guess you've made your decision then?" I asked. It was really hard to make an argument at that point.

"Yes," he replied, and showed a small hint of a smile as he looked at me again. "Goodbye, Sean the Tactician." And with that, he rode off into the night and disappeared, with me as the only witness. That was the last I saw of that blunt jerk for a long time.

* * *

I made my way back to the ballroom, and tried to find someone to talk to. Well, there was plenty of talking, but no one to actually talk to, considering the awkwardness of jumping into a random conversation that I knew nothing about. Yeah, really had never felt so out of place as I did during that time period. Soon, I found myself on the same balcony again.

"Guess this is where I'll be spending the evening," I sighed. "It's like prom night all over again."

"I suppose it's better that we're both out of place," a familiar voice came from beside me. And, just like for every other familiar voice I've heard, I turned to see who it belonged to. Three guesses as to who would say that, and would have a familiar scent of grass an fresh-cut flowers as well. That's right. Lyn.

"How's it going-" I started, and paused when I saw her, "Lyn..." Again, flabbergasted. It's like I have this reaction to every girl I see in a dress. Well, in Lyn's case, I finally got to see her with her hair down, and... wow. Her hair was draped over her bare shoulders, and her formal dress was amazing. I'm no fashion expert, but blue was seriously her color.

"I'm alright," she told me. "Grandfather's finally well, and you've made a full recovery. It's finally over."

"Y-Yeah," I replied. And, of course, overheating brain prevents me from making decent conversation.

"I told Grandfather I'd be staying in Caelin, so it will probably be some time before I see the plains again," she continued. "Until then, I have to withstand wearing this type of clothing and meeting those arrogant suitors."

"Suitors?" I asked. "Since when?"

"Since I introduced myself," Lyn chuckled. "Suddenly, every rich house in Caelin is sending their sons to meet the heiress to the throne. It's easier to deal with bandits than those monsters."

"You seem pretty popular," I laughed. Inside, I'm pretty sure I was doing the opposite, whatever that is. Great, of course every guy wants to marry Lyn now. Look at her, she was freaking beautiful, and an heiress! Plus, she was strong, independent, and smart. She was pretty much the most amazing girl I had ever met, and now, I have competition with a bunch of rich assholes. Awesome.

"I'm popular among the callow oafs that Caelin seems to have so many of," she smiled, recalling our first encounter with Sain. "I suppose I should just deal with them, and then maybe someone will be good enough for me to actually strike a conversation with."

"Maybe you'll find someone you can actually talk to," I told her. And the response to that was, well, unexpected.

"I have you."

Okay, I think my heart rate just doubled.

"Sean, I was so scared when you used that Fire tome," she whispered. "It was almost like watching my family be massacred again. I really felt like I had lost someone close to me, and I never wanted that feeling ever again."

"L-Lyn," I said. I felt my face get incredibly hot as those words reached my ears. "I-I'm sorry..."

"You should be," she replied. "Lundgren deserved to die, but not at the cost of your life. As my master strategist, I hoped that you understood that. I suppose, for that brief moment, I was wrong."

"It was a stupid thing to do," I answered. "I know that. I just didn't want to be a burden on you, or everyone else."

"You were never a burden," said Lyn. "If it wasn't for you, we never would have made it here. And when Lundgren had a knife at your throat, you didn't have to take things into your own hands to say that you were worth something to us."

"Lyn," I whispered. "Th-Thanks."

"It is difficult to believe that you were sent from another world to come help us," said Lyn. "However, it does explain your strange speech patterns and your mannerisms." Did I mention that by this point I told everyone about coming from another world?

"Yeah, you picked up on that really well," I told her. "Well, I was never a tactician in that world. I grew up in a decent neighborhood, and was a good student in school. But, that's really all I have about my life before meeting you. Nothing exciting."

"So, what did you mean when you said you originally came to Elibe for me?" she asked.

"Uh..." I guess this is it. Truth time. "Well, I saw this portrait of you while I was there. I was told by this professor that he would let me meet you if I beat him in chess, and so I agreed."

"You agreed because of me?"

"Lyn, I thought you were b-beautiful," I told her. And now I was pretty sure the blushing was not going to go away. "I've never been good at talking with girls, and I thought that you... If there was a chance that someone like you would get to know me, well... I thought..." I paused, and took a look at Lyn, who was staring at me with wide eyes. I think she was blushing as well, but it was hard to tell in the dark. I took a second to think about it, and I realized that I had damn near told her that I had a serious crush on her ever since _before_ I met her. Well, I did, but why was I so scared about that?

"Sean, will you stay with us?" asked Lyn after an awkward pause. Well, I think it was a pretty awkward moment.

"I-" I started, but then stopped. I remembered Ursula, and what she had told me that night. If I didn't leave, it would be like telling Darius that I didn't care about an all-out war between two big nations. And so, the last half of the answer to that question was obvious. "-can't."

"Oh..." whispered Lyn. "I guess... I understand."

"Lyn, just know that if I could stay here with you guys, I would," I told her. "But... I'm going to the Pheraean Academy next week. Eliwood told me that they're a good school for military strategy. If I learn from them, then I'll really be a tactician. I really won't be a burden."

"Sean..."

"I know you don't see me like that," I sighed. "But, I do. I feel like I'm holding all of you back. And, I don't want to feel like that anymore. Lyn, I have to go."

There was an awkward silence for a long time. I hated that. Lyn was just staring at the scenery before us on the balcony with a thoughtful expression on her face. She seemed to be thinking about what to say after I told her that I was leaving her. All I could do was wait for her to say something.

"You're leaving Caelin, then," she whispered.

"Y-Yeah..." I replied.

"You should go then," she said. "It's obvious you've made your decision."

"Lyn..." I began, but she turned away and ran back into the ballroom. I think that I saw a wet spot on the rail of the balcony from a couple of drops of water. But there was no rain that night, and the only thing over that railing was Lyn...

Great, I think I just ruined the moment. This really _was _like prom night all over again.

* * *

A week passed too quickly. I managed to tell everyone else that I was going to leave them for a while, and they all seemed to accept that I was really going to be a tactician. I even got a few going away presents from the Caelin soldiers, except Balan, who I hadn't seen since he beat the living crap out of me. All in all, a pretty happy occasion.

Except Lyn wasn't talking to me.

I tried to go to her room, or talk to her during meals, but she was constantly avoiding me. It got to the point where I just wanted her to tell me to go away. At least then I'd have a straight answer. The day before leaving, I went to ask the person who knew Lyn better than anyone...

_"I'm not sure."_

_"Come on, Florina," I said. "You've been Lyn's best friend ever since you were thirteen. You should know about when she gets like this."_

_"I-I'm not sure, because she's never like this," Florina told me. "Lyn has never tried to avoid someone before. Even when angry, she normally confronts it."_

_"So, she's not angry?" I asked._

_"I don't know," replied the pegasus knight. "She's not very open about it, even to me."_

_"I guess that's that then," I sighed._

_"I-I'm sorry, Sean," whispered Florina. "I guess I'm n-not much help for you."_

_"No, don't worry about it," I told her. "Do you think she hates me?"_

_"Of course not," said Florina. "But..."_

_"But?"_

_"You remind her of someone," she told me. "Someone who she cared about a long time ago."_

_"Kal?" I asked. Florina seemed shocked as I answered that, and I quickly continued. "She told me about him while we were in Kathelet."_

_"Y-Yes," said Florina. "I suppose you know about him, then?"_

_"Let's see. He helped find a hiding place for you when you first met Lyn, and became her fiance when she was 16, but a few days before her 18th birthday when they were going to get married, the Taliver attacked. He died protecting Lyn's family, but in the end there were no survivors from the massacre, except Lyn, who her father sent away by horse. Lyn has a locket that Kal bought after working in Bulgar for a few months and keeps it on her at all times, and it's got both their names engraved on it. And, she still thinks of him a lot. Did I get everything?"_

_"She seems to have told you a lot," said Florina._

_"Yeah, she did."_

_"Then, you should also know that after Kal died, Lyn vowed to never love anyone as she loved him," Florina told me._

_"I guess that makes sense," I sighed. "From what she's told me, Kal was really quite a guy. Kind, strong, and my guess is that he was a looker as well?"_

_"He was r-rather handsome," said Florina, looking away. I think I saw a bit of a blush on her cheeks._

_"So... exactly how do I remind her of him?" I asked. "I'm not particularly good-looking, I'm no good at fighting, and I'm just a typical 'nice guy' that she probably meets all the time."_

_"You never knew Kal," she told me. "He was in love with Lyn long before she was with him. He would spend a lot of time trying to get her to notice him, but until the incident when I fell off of my pegasus, she never realized that. During that time, he would normally stumble or say silly things to her by accident, but until she saw his kindness, she had no thoughts about him. And she sees that with you."_

_So, I reminded Lyn of Kal because I could act like an idiot when I was around her. Well, that was good to know. It did surprise me, though. I had imagined Kal as this "perfect" guy that all girls seemed to dream about, while I was only the nerd that they'd borrow notes from. I guess it was just as hard for him to talk with her as it was for me. Maybe I had more in common with Kal than I thought._

_And that's when I realized that Lyn had actually noticed whenever I acted like an idiot. Well, crap..._

_"Thanks for telling me, Florina," I told her. "I'm glad to see that your fear of men has gone away."_

_"N-No, it hasn't," the pegasus knight whispered. "I-It's just, I feel... safer... talking to you..."_

_"Oh," I whispered. "R-Right." This was heading very quickly into awkward territory._

_"I really hope that you and Lyn work this out," she told me. "I really want to see her truly happy again."_

_"Florina..." I said. "Do you...?"_

_"No," she replied before I could finish. "I-I feel comfortable talking with you, and I do trust you, but, I don't have those kinds of feelings for you."_

_"Oh, okay..." I replied._

_"Just, make up with Lyn before you leave for Pherae," she finished._

_"Of course."_

And that was the day before. The awkwardness of that moment almost made me regret talking to her, but I had to admit, Florina was probably the most selfless girl I had ever met. I felt kind of guilty about telling her about everything between me and Lyn, but she had enough of a heart to not let that get between their friendship. I was grateful for that. I never wanted to be the guy that split apart two best friends. Not that I ever thought I could've been.

I made my way down toward the castle gate after I finished dressing up. Of course, by dressing up, I mean put on the same clothes that I'd been wearing since I came to Elibe. I had finally managed to wash everything too, which I was incredibly thankful for. When I reached the gate, I saw almost everyone there to say good-bye. Almost, because Lyn wasn't there.

"Come back to visit," said Wil. "I can teach you how to use a bow, since you normally don't have something to defend yourself with."

"Looking forward to it," I replied, holding out my hand. Wil gladly took it, and we shook on it as a promise.

"Don't leave for that world you came from without coming to see us first, alright?" asked Sain.

"You'll be the first to know," I smiled, and we knocked fists. That one was a gesture _I_ taught him.

"Good luck out there, Sean," smiled Kent, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I believe that you will make a fine tactician."

"Thanks, Kent," I replied.

"S-Sean..."

"Take care of yourself, Florina," I told her. "Also, thanks for everything. You'll become a great pegasus knight."

"Th-Thank you," she replied quietly. I was about to walk away when she grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug. I was completely shocked, as were every other guy at the normally shy pegasus knight's forwardness. "I hope that you and Lyn make up soon, when we see each other again."

"Y-Yeah," I replied, blushing. I wasn't sure if she had a crush on me or not. The hug and the sentence didn't seem to go together, and so I had no idea how I was supposed to respond to that.

Florina pulled back and turned to the red knight. "Kent, have you seen her?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid she's not here. That's odd, I thought she'd be here to see you, Sean."

"I... I guess I really said something wrong," I sighed. "Well, next time you see her, tell her I'm sorry."

"Of course," Kent nodded.

"I-I guess this is good-bye then," I whispered. Everyone nodded, and looked away. I'm pretty sure I saw a tear fall from Sain's eye. "I'll miss you guys. Thanks for everything."

"It is us who should be thanking you," said Sain. Just as he said that, a guard came through the gate.

"Master Sean," he told me. "A knight from Pherae is here to take you to the Academy."

"Send him in," said Kent.

"Why do men always assume that knights must always be men?" said the knight as she made her way through the gate. Yes, that's right, a 'she'. And a very pretty one at that. She looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She had long, indigo hair and matching eyes, and wore white armor that covered most of her body, but was still able to show her feminine curves. She also had a sword that she kept sheathed at her side.

"M-My apologies, milady," Kent said as he bowed. I think this was the first time I'd seen Kent taken aback like this.

"No need for apologies, sir knight," smiled the woman. "My name is Isadora, retainer of the Lady Eleanora of Pherae, and..." She looked at me and smiled. "...I believe I am to escort this handsome young man to our fine academy."

"Um... yeah," I replied, blushing. Honestly, I think this was the first time I'd been called handsome.

"Lady Isadora, it is an honor to have you escort our friend," said Kent. "I trust you will take care of him well."

"Of course," she chuckled. "Lord Eliwood spoke fondly of this young tactician, and has told me about his achievements. It would be a shame to damage such a fine young mind. Well, shall we take our leave, Sean?"

"Yes, of course," I replied, turning toward my friends. "I'll come back someday," I told them. "That's a promise."

At that, they smiled, and I knew that was the last I would see of them for some time, but I also knew that they would welcome me back the next time I return to Caelin.

* * *

"How far is Pherae?" I asked Isadora as we made our way out of the small Caelin village. We had stopped there to buy some supplies for the short journey, so I guessed that the distance between the two lands was a fairly decent one.

"We will head south for about three days," she told me. "When we reach the border of Pherae, the Academy will only be another day's travel. I will aid you in settling in."

"Four days, huh? Man, I hope we don't get attacked by bandits," I sighed. Seriously, I had enough of those stupid bandit raids ever since we crossed Taliver mountain. And wow, that seemed like a very long time ago. We were just about over a hill when...

"Sean!"

I turned to see who had just called my name, and saw her. She wore the same clothing that she had been wearing when we first met, and I was glad for it. Her hair was tied in its trademark ponytail again, and she was panting to catch her breath, like she had been running for a long time.

"Lyn," I whispered. "Isadora, can you leave us alone for a few minutes?"

The woman looked puzzled for a few moments before she saw Lyn, and then, with a knowing smile, replied, "Of course, Sean. I will just be on the other side of this hill over here." And with that, she walked away from the scene. I'm pretty glad I had a woman to take me there, not sure if a man who I didn't know would leave me like that.

I turned toward Lyn again and made my way toward her. "H-Hey, Lyn," I smiled when I finally got close enough for her to hear me.

"Sean, you're leaving aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Look, Lyn, I-"

"No, I'm not asking you to stay," she interrupted. "It's just... I'll miss you."

"L-Lyn..."

She took a deep breath and continued. "When I found you unconscious on the plains... I had no idea we would be together for so long. You've helped us so much, and I'm sure you've learned all you can from us."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," I replied. "But, I need to go. I need training, and then, when I come back, I'll be a real tactician. I can protect you."

"Sean," she whispered, and then smiled and pulled me into a hug. "You'll do just fine on your own. I have the utmost faith that you'll be a master tactician, Sean." She pulled back and winked. "That's from someone who's seen you at work!"

"Thanks, Lyn," I replied. The sun was starting to set, and I swear I could hear some romantic music in the background somewhere. In the fading light, Lyn almost seemed as if she was radiating. "Listen, Lyn, about that night-"

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you," she told me. She looked away before continuing. "I'm very sorry, but... I needed time."

"Time?" I asked.

"Sean, I want you to have this," she said. She reached behind her, unclipped her locket, and put it into my hand.

"Lyn, no, I c-can't take this!" I replied. "This is... Kal gave this to you!"

"Yes," she replied. "I have to explain why I needed time, Sean. When you told me you were leaving, it hurt me. I felt like I had done something wrong, that I had done something that made you feel like you had to leave."

"No, of course not," I told her. "I really want to stay, but-"

"I realized that," she interrupted. "And I also realized that I felt that way because I, well..." She stopped and looked away from me.

"What?" I asked after a few seconds.

"I have feelings for you," she whispered. I was so in shock from those words that I nearly fell over. Did she actually just say that? This girl, this amazing girl who was stronger that I would ever be, had feelings for me? That's why she'd been avoiding me? I kept telling myself that it was impossible, though I don't know why. This is what I wanted. I wanted to be with her. I had to say something, to finally tell her how I felt about her.

"L-Lyn," I began.

"This is why I needed time," she continued. "After Kal died... He was my first love, and he died protecting me and my family. I swore that I would never love anyone like I loved him again, but now, only a few months later, I met you."

"I see," I replied quietly.

"I felt guilty," she sighed. "I kept denying it. I kept telling myself that there was no way I could fall for someone so soon after he was gone from my life. But, when I was with you, I felt like I had someone again. I felt like I had moved on from Kal, but it was so soon after he died, and I had only known you for a short time. It scared me how easily this happened."

"Lyn, I never wanted to replace Kal," I told her. "I don't think I ever could."

"I know," she sighed. "It's not your fault, Sean. I just... can't deny it anymore. Sean, I have feelings for you. I really..." I saw a few tears come out of her eyes before she continued. "I really have moved on. I can't help that, but, it still hurts. I need you to take this, and promise me you will come back. Please."

"I will come back," I told her, taking the locket. "I promise, Lyn. I love you." I paused and realized what I just said. Wow, that came out a lot easier than I thought. This is what I spent two months trying to tell her? Man, I'm pathetic.

"You do?" she whispered. I responded with a nervous nod.

"Y-Yeah," I sighed. "I-I have for a long time now."

She gave me a sad smile, tears were really flowing out of her eyes now. "You're right, Sean. You could never replace Kal..."

I paused. So many thoughts ran through my head at those words._ Crap, did I just say something stupid? Did she realize how pathetic I was compared to Kal? How could she tell me she had feelings for me and then say that? How-?_

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt her hands on my face. "L-Lyn, wha-" Before I could finish, she pulled me closer to her and put her lips on top of mine. I was shocked, I had no idea what was happening, until it finally hit me that Lyn was kissing me. It was unbelievable, my first kiss, and it was from the most incredible woman in existence. I felt her arm begin to wrap around my neck as I returned the kiss, and I put my arms around her waist. We just stood there in each other's arms, locked together. I basked in her aroma of grass and flowers and enjoyed every moment of it. It seemed like it lasted a lifetime before we parted.

"You could never replace Kal, because you're Sean," she whispered into my ear. "That is a great thing. Never let go of who you are."

"I-I..." I tried to think of a response, but I think part of my brain had gone into meltdown at this point.

"Keep that locket safe," she smiled. "I want it back when you return."

"Y-Yeah... That's a promise," I smiled.

She gave me a sad smile. "Well then, take care..."

"You too," I replied quietly.

"I... I hope I see you again," she whispered. "I'm sure that I will someday..."

"I'll make sure of it," I replied, giving her another kiss on the cheek. "Lyn, thanks for everything."

And with that cliche dialogue out of the way, I made may way toward where Isadora was waiting, all the time looking back at Lyn, who was watching. I promised myself from that day forward that I would become a real tactician. I would become someone who could protect her, and would seldom need to be protected by her.

And so, the first trials of my life as a tactician ended as I rode toward a new beginning.

_fin_

* * *

_A/N: Well, that's it. The story ends with a Sean/Lyn moment, and I threw in the game dialogue just for the sake of connecting my story completely to the game. However, as you can see, I pretty much wrote my own ending. Honestly, I was disappointed with the ending of the last chapter, and I felt like I had to make up for it. I think I overdid it, seeing the length of this chapter here._

_Now, pretty much everyone has told me that I didn't develop some of the characters enough. And I'm going to tell those reviewers that I agree completely. I seriously didn't develop some of them enough, mostly because in the overarching storyline, they aren't that important. If you didn't catch it, the part where everyone crashed in on Sean was my attempt to get them to talk more. Not sure how that turned out, but it felt good to write it._

_Also, remember how I kept mentioning the Pheraean Academy for the last few chapters? This is why. By the time Eliwood's story rolls around, Sean will have learned quite a bit about being a tactician under the tutelage of Darius the Black Shadow, so battling the Black Fang should be more doable for the teenage tactician._

_Anyway, thank you all for reading this story! I think it's one of my best in terms of sheer content, and Sean is probably the best original character I have ever come up with, mostly because he's based on myself ;). No, he's not quite a self-insert, but I think that's how he ended up developing. Anyway, I feel that the story ended up not bad for a story that I wrote based on a simple rule: Fire Emblem novelization where the tactician is not a Gary Stu and never fights. I plan to hang on to that rule all the way to the end of the novelization. It was fun throwing in characters that don't appear until later in the game, as well as a whole bunch of original characters, in order to tie the whole story together. So, once again, thank you all for reading, and I hope that you will be here for the sequel!_

_--crosstrigger333_


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